Richard Gomer

Richard Gomer is the Thomas Powell ’62 Professor of Science and University Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on fibrosis, innate immune system regulation, and developmental biology using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model. He co-founded Promedior, a biotechnology company acquired by Roche, to develop SAP-based therapies for fibrotic diseases. His work includes discovering novel mechanisms to inhibit fibrosis, such as sialidase inhibitors and SAP receptor agonists, with ongoing clinical trials. Gomer’s expertise spans cell signaling, immune modulation, and translational medicine.

Education:

• B.A., Physics, Pomona College (1977)
• Ph.D., Biology, California Institute of Technology (1983)
• Postdoctoral Research, University of California, San Diego

Research Interests:

• Mechanisms of fibrosis and anti-fibrotic therapies
• Chemorepulsion pathways in Dictyostelium and human cells
• Role of sialidases in inflammatory diseases
• Developmental biology and cell differentiation
• Host-pathogen interactions and immunotherapy

Key Projects:

• Phase 3 clinical trials of SAP for pulmonary fibrosis
• Development of sialidase inhibitors (NEU3) for fibrosis
• Discovery of chemorepellents in Dictyostelium and their human orthologues
• Exploration of chalones and cellular proliferation control

Lab and Collaborations:

• Gomer Lab at Texas A&M University
• Co-founder of Promedior and related startups
• Past collaborations in astronomy, including detector design for large telescopes