He is also director of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA. Rando received both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Harvard University in 1987. His research draws on the fields of stem cell biology, the biology of aging, and bioengineering to understand the molecular basis for the age-related decline in the body’s ability to repair its tissues. He is using his Pioneer Award to apply knowledge of adult stem cell biology to enhance tissue repair and regeneration due to aging, injury, or disease. An elected member of the American Neurological Association, Rando has also received the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award in Aging. Derek J. Smith, Ph.D.