Anna Randi is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London. Her research interests are in vascular biology and haemostasis, and in the areas of overlap between these two fields. Major recent findings from the laboratory are the characterisation of endothelial transcriptional networks controlling vascular health, centred on the transcription factor ERG, and the identification of von Willebrand factor as a regulator of blood vessel formation. A major effort has been directed in using circulating endothelial progenitors from patients’ blood, to identify novel mechanisms of disease in patients with the genetic bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease and in patients with CV disease associated with the lung disorder COPD.
Anna Randi is a clinically qualified haematologist, specialized in haemostasis and thrombosis. She obtained her medical degrees and PhD from the University of Milan (Italy). She trained at Washington University, St. Louis (USA), in J.E. Sadler’s laboratory where she was involved in the first characterization of mutations in the von Willebrand factor gene. From here she moved to the UK, and began her studies on endothelial biology and vascular diseases. She spent 7 years at GlaxoSmithKline, as group leader and then Head of Translational Medicine (Inflammation); during this time, Anna Randi also held an honorary contract with Imperial College London, where she eventually moved her lab in 2003.
Anna Randi serves on BHF grant and fellowship committees, on Wellcome Trust and on international review panels. Between 2014 and 2017 she was on the Editorial Board of Blood. She has served as co-Chair of the Scientific Subcommittee on Vascular Biology of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH). She is a member of numerous scientific organisations, a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and member of the ATVB leadership committee. Anna Randi is committed to promoting the careers of young researchers; she believes in providing a supportive and stimulating training and working environment for all, with particular concerns on gender equality.
London, May 2018