R. Ariel Gomez

R. Ariel Gomez is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Biology (School of Arts and Sciences). He holds the Harrison Distinguished Professorship and has served in leadership roles such as Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. His research focuses on renin-synthesizing cells, kidney vascular development, and epigenetic regulation of cell identity. Key projects include studying renin lineage plasticity, microRNA roles in cell differentiation, and mechanisms governing renal arteriolar formation.

Dr. Gomez received his MD from the University of Buenos Aires (1975) and completed pediatric residency and nephrology fellowships at institutions in Argentina and the US. He joined UVA in 1984, establishing a NIH-funded lab. His work integrates lineage tracing, epigenetics, and genomic approaches to unravel kidney development and hypertension mechanisms.

Research interests span renin cell identity maintenance via chromatin conformation, microRNA (miR-330/miR-125b-5p) regulation of renal phenotypes, and Notch signaling in renal vascular progenitors. He investigates how renal cells contribute to regeneration and immune defense, with implications for therapies targeting vascular diseases.

His lab has developed cre-lox mouse models and CRISPR tools for studying renin lineage dynamics. Awards include the Excellence Award for Hypertension Research (2017). Collaborative efforts address kidney regeneration, hypertension pathophysiology, and transcriptional networks in development.

Dr. Gomez’s work bridges basic science and clinical applications, emphasizing renal health in hypertension management and kidney regeneration post-injury. His research has advanced understanding of cell-lineage plasticity and epigenetic drivers of renal pathologies.