Welcome to the Rando Lab

The main focus of our laboratory is the molecular regulation of stem cell function. Our primary goals are to understand how stem cells orchestrate tissue homeostasis and repair and to harness their remarkable therapeutic potential in the treatment of tissue damage and degenerative diseases. With a primary focus on skeletal muscle and their resident stem cells (“satellite cells”), we also examine how stem cells age and how to restore youthful properties to aged stem cells. We take a multi-omics approach to identify critical factors and pathways that regulate stem cell functions, including the maintenance of quiescence and self-renewal, and we use various mouse models, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR) technologies, and bioengineering approaches to explore stem cell function and regenerative potential in vivo. Our long-terms goals are to unravel the mysteries of stem cells and to apply that knowledge to the future of cell therapies for diseases for which no treatments or cures are currently available. The Rando laboratory is a part of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center on Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at UCLA.

Funding for the research comes from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, the NOMIS Foundation, the Milky Way Research Foundation, the Rosenkranz Foundation, and the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford University.