ProfessorAnna Randi

Anna M. Randi is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Head of Vascular Sciences 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. The Randi lab has defined transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that control endothelial cell homeostasis and resilience in health and disease and identified of von Willebrand factor as a regulator of angiogenesis. A major effort is directed in using circulating endothelial progenitors from patients’ blood (ECFC), to study mechanisms of disease in patients with congenital bleeding disorders including von Willebrand disease and in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

research and publications
Research
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Biosketch
Prof. Randi is a clinically qualified haematologist, specialized in haemostasis and thrombosis. She trained with Prof. Mannucci at the University of Milan (Italy) and with Dr. Sadler at Washington University, St. Louis (USA); here she was involved in the first characterization of mutations in the von Willebrand factor gene. She moved to the UK to study endothelial biology and vascular diseases, first at GlaxoSmithKline and then at Imperial College London, where she set up her lab in 2004. From April 2022 she was also Visiting Professors at The University of Milan, Italy.

Prof. Randi served on national and international review panels and has been on the Editorial Board of high impact Scientific Journals. She is frequently invited to present at national and international meetings. She was the Scientific Chair for the London 2022 ISTH meeting. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and Strategy Editor for the journal BTVB (Bleeding Thrombosis and Vascular Biology). 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 focus on women and gender equality.

Images of cells from Prof. Randi’s laboratory have featured in an Italian comedy film called "Into Paradiso", directed by the Italian film director Paola Randi (Anna Randi’s sister). The film, which received numerous international awards and was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2010, 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 Interview with Prof. Randi on Nature Cardiovascular Research (2023)

Imperial News story discussing Prof. Randi's research: Imperial researchers studying how blood vessels stay healthy.