Dr. Rando’s research concerns the basic biology of stem cells and how they function in adult tissue homeostasis, degenerative diseases and aging. Groundbreaking work from his lab showed that the age-related decline in stem cell function is due primarily to influences of the aged environment rather than to intrinsic, irreversible aging of stem cell themselves. His work has spurned research in the basic processes of cellular aging and rejuvenation. In 2005, he received the prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award for his work at the interface between stem cell biology and the biology of aging, and in 2013 he received a Transformative Research Award from the NIH for his studies on the benefits of exercise on cognition and lifespan.