Texas A&M University College of Dentistry

Kimberly Gomez, PHD, MS

Assistant Professor Department of Biomedical Sciences | College of Dentistry
Contact Groups and Affiliations

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurobiology of Pain Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona (2020 – 2021)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurobiology of Pain Pain Research Center, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, College of Dentistry, New York University (2022 – 2023)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurobiology of Pain Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine, The University of Florida (2024 – 2025)
  • Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neuroscience, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico (2015 – 2019).
  • M.S., Neuropharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Department of Pharmacobiology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico (2013 – 2015).

Career History

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University (2025 – Present).
  • Research Assistant, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (2011 – 2013).

Grants

  • NIH/NINDS and HEAL Initiative K99NS134965 (Career Transition Award): “Lymphocyte Antigen 6 (Ly6) Proteins: New Players in Chronic Pain” (09/2023 – 08/2025).
  • NIH/NINDS 3R01NS120663-01A1S1 (Research Supplement to Promote Diversity): “Sentrin proteases, CRMP2 deSUMOylation, and Chronic Pain” (01/2022 – 07/2024).

Publications

2025 Anti-CV2/CRMP5 autoantibodies drive sensory neuron excitability and pain in rats
Martin L, Stratton HJ, Salih LY, Dumaire N, Gomez K, Do LD, Loya-Lopez S, Tang C, Calderon-Rivera A, Ran D, Nunna V, Bellampalli SS, François-Moutal L, Luo S, Porreca F, Ibrahim M, Rogemond V, Honnorat J, Khanna R, Moutal A. Anti-CV2/CRMP5 autoantibodies drive sensory neuron excitability and pain in rats. Nat Commun. 2025;16:7311. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-62380-y
2024 C2230, a use- and state-dependent CaV2.2 channel blocker, mitigates pain behaviors across multiple models
Tang C*, Gomez K*, Chen Y*, Allen HN, Hestehave S, Rodríguez-Palma EJ, Loya-Lopez S, Calderon-Rivera A, Duran P, Nelson TS, Kanumuri SRR, Shah B, Panigrahi NR, Perez-Miller S, Schackmuth MK, Ruparel S, Patwardhan A, Price TJ, Arora PS, Sharma RK, Sharma A, Yu J, Korczeniewska OA, Khanna R. C2230, a use- and state-dependent CaV2.2 channel blocker, mitigates pain behaviors across multiple models. J Clin Invest. 2024;e177429. doi:10.1172/JCI177429
2024 Neuropilin-1 inhibition suppresses nerve growth factor signaling and nociception
Peach CJ, Tonello R, Damo E, Gomez K, Calderon-Rivera A, Bruni R, Bansia H, Maile L, Manu AM, Hahn H, Thomsen AR, Schmidt BL, Davidson S, des Georges A, Khanna R, Bunnett NW. Neuropilin-1 inhibition suppresses nerve growth factor signaling and nociception. J Clin Invest. 2024;135:e183873. doi:10.1172/JCI183873
2024 CRISPR activation of SENP1 enhances deSUMOylation pathways to elicit antinociception
Gomez K, Allen HN, Duran P, Loya-Lopez S, Calderon-Rivera A, Moutal A, Tang C, Nelson TS, Perez-Miller S, Khanna R. CRISPR activation of SENP1 enhances deSUMOylation pathways to elicit antinociception. Pain. 2024;165:866–883. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003080
2023 A peptidomimetic modulator of CaV2.2 N-type calcium channels for chronic pain
Gomez K*, Santiago U*, Nelson TS, Allen HN, Calderon-Rivera A, Hestehave S, Rodríguez Palma EJ, Zhou Y, Duran P, Loya-Lopez S, Zhu E, Kumar U, Shields R, Koseli E, McKiver B, Giuvelis D, Zuo W, Inyang KE, Dorame A, Chefdeville A, Ran D, Perez-Miller S, Lu Y, Liu X, Handoko, Arora PS, Patek M, Moutal A, Khanna M, Hu H, Laumet G, King T, Wang J, Damaj MI, Korczeniewska OA, Camacho CJ, Khanna R. A peptidomimetic modulator of CaV2.2 N-type calcium channels for chronic pain. PNAS. 2023;120:e2305215120. doi:10.1073/pnas.2305215120
2023 Identification of a unique NaV1.7 domain driving chronic pain
Gomez K*, Stratton HJ*, Duran P, Loya S, Tang C, Calderon-Rivera A, François-Moutal L, Khanna M, Madura CL, Luo S, McKiver B, Choi E, Ran D, Boinon L, Perez-Miller S, Damaj MI, Moutal A, Khanna R. Identification of a unique NaV1.7 domain driving chronic pain. PNAS. 2023;120:e2217800120. doi:10.1073/pnas.2217800120
2023 Neuropilin-1 is essential for VEGF-A–mediated sensory neuron activity and pain-like behaviors
Gomez K, Duran P, Tonello R, Allen HN, Boinon L, Calderon-Rivera A, Loya-López S, Nelson TS, Ran D, Moutal A, Bunnett NW, Khanna R. Neuropilin-1 is essential for VEGF-A–mediated sensory neuron activity and pain-like behaviors. Pain. 2023;164:2696–2710. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002970
2021 Selective targeting of NaV1.7 via inhibition of CRMP2-Ubc9 interaction reduces pain in rodents
Cai S, Moutal A, Yu J, Chew LA, Isensee J, Chawla R, Gomez K, Luo S, Zhou Y, Chefdeville A, Madura C, Perez-Miller S, Bellampalli SS, Dorame A, Scott DD, François-Moutal L, Shan Z, Woodward T, Gokhale V, Hohmann AG, Vanderah TW, Patek M, Khanna M, Hucho T, Khanna R. Selective targeting of NaV1.7 via inhibition of CRMP2-Ubc9 interaction reduces pain in rodents. Sci Transl Med. 2021;13:eabh1314. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.abh1314
2021 SARS-CoV-2 spike protein co-opts VEGF-A/neuropilin-1 signaling to induce analgesia
Moutal A, Martin LF, Boinon L, Gomez K, Ran D, Zhou Y, Stratton HJ, Cai S, Luo S, Gonzalez KB, Perez-Miller S, Patwardhan A, Ibrahim MM, Khanna R. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein co-opts VEGF-A/neuropilin-1 signaling to induce analgesia. Pain. 2021;162:243–252. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002097
2020 Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of CaV3.2 T-type channels: role in neuropathic allodynia
Gomez K*, Calderón-Rivera A*, Sandoval A, González-Ramírez R, Vargas-Parada A, Ojeda-Alonso J, Granados-Soto V, Delgado-Lezama R, Felix R. Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of CaV3.2 T-type channels: role in neuropathic allodynia. J Neurosci. 2020;40:283–296. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0181-19.2019