• B.A., 1977, Pomona College, Physics.
• Ph.D., 1983, Caltech, Biology.
• Postdoctoral research, University of California, San Diego.
• Previous faculty appointments: Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Joined the department in 2010.

Gomer Lab Website

3258 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3258

Office:
3258 TAMU
Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building
Room 2121B
979-458-5745

Lab:
Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building
Room 2121
979-458-5750

Fax: 979-845-2891
Email: rgomer@bio.tamu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Our laboratory is working on two areas of biomedicine. First, we are studying how the sizes of tissues and tumors are regulated, and how this can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes. As a model system, we are using the simple eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum, which allows us to combine techniques such as biochemistry, genetics, computer modeling, and cell biology to study tissue size regulation. We have found that a secreted protein is the signal in a negative feedback loop that inhibits Dictyostelium cell proliferation, and we are studying the signal transduction pathway to understand similar mechanisms in humans.

Second, we have found that a human blood protein called Serum Amyloid P (SAP) regulates a key step in the formation of scar tissue as well as the formation of the scar-like lesions in fibrosing diseases such as congestive heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis. We are studying this mechanism, as well as working with two biotech companies to develop a new wound-healing material and a therapy for fibrosing diseases, both based on manipulating SAP levels.

1. Crawford JR, Pilling D & Gomer RH (2012) FcγRI mediates serum amyloid P inhibition of fibrocyte differentiation. J Leukoc Biol 0: Full text
2. Kolonin MG, Evans KW, Mani SA & Gomer RH (2012) Alternative origins of stroma in normal organs and disease. Stem Cell Res 8:312-23 Full text
3. Crawford JR, Bjorklund NL, Taglialatela G & Gomer RH (2012) Brain serum amyloid P levels are reduced in individuals that lack dementia while having Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Neurochem Res 37:795-801 Full text
4. Maharjan AS, Pilling D & Gomer RH (2011) High and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid differentially regulate human fibrocyte differentiation. PLoS One 6:e26078 Full text
5. Phillips JE, Huang E, Shaulsky G & Gomer RH (2011) The putative bZIP transcription factor BzpN slows proliferation and functions in the regulation of cell density by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium. PLoS One 6:e21765 Full text
6. Gomer RH, Jang W & Brazill D (2011) Cell density sensing and size determination. Dev Growth Differ 53:482-94 Full text
7. Gan Y, Herzog EL & Gomer RH (2011) Pirfenidone treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Ther Clin Risk Manag 7:39-47 Full text
8. Jang W & Gomer RH (2011) Initial cell type choice in Dictyostelium. Eukaryot Cell 10:150-5 Full text
9. Maharjan AS, Pilling D & Gomer RH (2010) Toll-like receptor 2 agonists inhibit human fibrocyte differentiation. Fibrogenesis Tissue Repair 3:23 Full text
10. Crawford JR, Pilling D & Gomer RH (2010) Improved serum-free culture conditions for spleen-derived murine fibrocytes. J Immunol Methods 363:9-20 Full text