Thomas A. Rando, MD, PhD

Dr. Thomas Rando is the Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also a Professor, Neurology; Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology. Formerly, he was a Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.  In addition, he was the Director, Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University, and the Deputy Director, Stanford Center on Longevity, also at Stanford University.  He served as the Chief of Service, Neurology Service, and the Director, REAP Program, both at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Dr. Rando earned his MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, respectively. He did his internship at Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and his residency with the Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, where he became chief resident. He then did a research fellowship with the Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Stanford University. Dr. Rando has been a pioneer in stem cell biology and the biology of aging. He received the distinguished NIA Director’s Pioneer Award and a Transformative R01 based on his work in these areas. He has received numerous awards, including a Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar in Aging, a Senior Scholar Award from the Ellison Medical Foundation, and a “Breakthroughs in Gerontology” Award from the American Federation for Aging Research. He has served as a member of the National Advisory Council for the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Rando is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and an  Elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) (formerly, the Institute of Medicine (IOM)). The main areas of interest of the Rando Laboratory are muscle stem cell biology; stem cell aging and epigenetic rejuvenation; tissue engineering, with a focus on treatments for volumetric muscle loss; and muscular dystrophies. View a list of Dr. Rando’s publications here.