Thomas A. Rando


Thomas A. Rando is an American neurologist. Rando is best known for his research on basic mechanisms of stem cell biology and the biology of aging, as well as for contributions to the study of the muscular dystrophies and the emerging field of regenerative rehabilitation. He is a Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is founding director of the Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging. Rando is also Chief of Neurology at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

Biography

He is Deputy Director of the Stanford Center on Longevity.

Research

Stem cell biology

Rando’s research on stem cells has addressed how stem cells in tissues throughout the body maintain their potency to participate in tissue homeostasis and tissue repair throughout the life of an organism. Through these studies, he and his students and fellows have explored the basic mechanisms by which stem cells maintain a dormant, or “quiescent” state, when not engage in generation of new tissue. They have explored the connection between this quiescent state and retained stem cell potency and they have discovered a phenomenon of a “quiescence cell cycle” that stem cells can exhibit, with different phases of that cycle manifesting different levels of dormancy. Rando’s group has also contributed to the field of stem cell therapeutics for injury and disease by combining basic stem cell biology with bioengineering approaches.

Cellular aging and rejuvenation

Rando’s laboratory was the first to use the technique of heterochronic parabiosis to explore the effects of the systemic circulation on stem cell function. Rando’s group has pioneered studies of the epigenetics of stem cell aging, exploring the role of “epigenetic rejuvenation” as an explanation for the paradigm-shifting findings of heterochronic parabiosis. These studies have revealed how exercise itself can lead to rejuvenation of aged stem cells.

Muscular dystrophy research

Rando’s group has developed mouse models of muscular dystrophy that allow the assessment of disease progression non-invasively using bioluminescence imaging technology.

Honors

Elected to: