Summary
Anna Randi is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute. Her main research interests are in vascular biology and vascular haemostasis. The laboratory investigates the molecular pathways that regulate endothelial homeostasis, angiogenesis and vascular stability. Projects in the group focus on three main areas:
- Transcriptional and epigenetic control of endothelial homeostasis by the ETS transcription factor ERG
- von Willebrand Factor regulation of angiogenesis and angiodysplasia
- Circulating endothelial progenitors (or Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells) in regenerative and precision medicine.
research and publications
Biosketch
Prof. Randi is a clinically qualified haematologist. She obtained her MD and PhD from the University of Milan (Italy). She investigated the molecular basis of von Willebrand Disease in Dr. J.E. Sadler (Washington University, St. Louis, USA), contributing to the first characterization of mutations in the von Willebrand factor gene. Prof. Randi moved to the UK to study vascular inflammation at Cancer Research UK and then in GlaxoSmithKline, where she became Head of Translational Medicine (Inflammation). She moved her lab to Imperial College London in 2003.
Prof. Randi’s research is funded by the British Heart Foundation, the European Commission, the Medical Research Council and the Rosetrees Trust. She is on the Advisory board of the European Vascular Biology Organisation and is co-Chairman of the Scientific Subcommittee on Vascular Biology of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH). She is on the Editorial Board of the journal of the American Society of Haematology Blood. She is also Fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) and member of the AHA ATVB Leadership Committee.
Prof. Randi is committed to gender equality and supports the advancement of women representation in science through active involvement in the NHLI ATHENA self-assessment team.
Images from Prof Randi’s laboratory have featured in an Italian comedy film called "Into Paradiso", directed by the Italian film director Paola Randi, Prof. Randi’s sister. The film received numerous international awards and was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2010. The film focuses on a Neapolitan scientist and his relationship with the migrants community, and uses videos of migrating cells from Prof. Randi’s laboratory as a metaphor for human migration and communication. Read more about the film.
Recent Imperial News story discussing Prof. Randi's research: Imperial researchers studying how blood vessels stay healthy.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Paschalaki KE, Starke RD, Hu Y, et al., 2013, Dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells from smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients due to increased DNA damage and senescence, Stem Cells, Vol:31, ISSN:1066-5099, Pages:2813-2826
Starke RD, Paschalaki KE, Dyer CE, et al., 2013, Cellular and molecular basis of von Willebrand disease: studies on blood outgrowth endothelial cells, Blood, Vol:121, Pages:2773-2784
Starke RD, Paschalaki KE, Dyer CEF, et al., 2013, Cellular and molecular basis of von Willebrand disease: studies on blood outgrowth endothelial cells, Blood, Vol:121, ISSN:0006-4971, Pages:2773-2784
Dryden NH, Sperone A, Martin-Almedina S, et al., 2012, The transcription factor erg controls endothelial cell quiescence by repressing activity of Nuclear Factor (NF)-kappa B p65, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol:287, ISSN:0021-9258, Pages:12331-12342
Randi AM, 2012, VWF, angiodysplasia and endothelial progenitor cells: novel insights from basic science, Haemophilia, Vol:18, ISSN:1351-8216, Pages:9-9
Birdsey GM, Dryden NH, Shah AV, et al., 2012, The transcription factor Erg regulates expression of histone deacetylase 6 and multiple pathways involved in endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis, Blood, Vol:119, ISSN:0006-4971, Pages:894-903
Starke RD, Ferraro F, Paschalaki KE, et al., 2011, Endothelial von Willebrand factor regulates angiogenesis, Blood, Vol:117, ISSN:0006-4971, Pages:1071-1080
Sperone A, Dryden NH, Birdsey GM, et al., 2011, The Transcription Factor Erg Inhibits Vascular Inflammation by Repressing NF-kappa B Activation and Proinflammatory Gene Expression in Endothelial Cells, Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Vol:31, ISSN:1079-5642, Pages:142-150
Birdsey GM, Dryden NH, Amsellem V, et al., 2008, Transcription factor Erg regulates angiogenesis and endothelial apoptosis through VE-cadherin, Blood, Vol:111, ISSN:0006-4971, Pages:3498-3506
Conference
Starke RD, Paschalaki KE, Ferraro F, et al., 2011, BLOOD-DERIVED ENDOTHELIAL PROGENITOR CELLS FROM VON WILLEBRAND'S DISEASE PATIENTS DEMONSTRATE THAT VON WILLEBRAND FACTOR REGULATES ANGIOGENESIS, B M J PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages:14-14, ISSN:1355-6037