PostDoc Spotlight: Daniel Gomes

Daniel Gomes is a postdoctoral fellow in the Cerapex Lab within the Department of Neurological Surgery. His mentor is Redi Rahmani, MD in the Department of Neurological Surgery. He earned his PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Louisville in December of 2025.

Could you tell us about this work and how this achievement will impact your professional career?

"Among the accomplishments that I have achieved so far, I am most proud of my perseverance and adaptability that enabled me to navigate an unfamiliar environment and gradually establish myself as a scientist over the course of the past 12 years. When I first came to the United States from Bangladesh, I knew that I was entering a new country with different customs, norms, professionalism and work/life balance, but what I didn’t realize was how much I would have to adapt, both on a personal and professional level. Taking a big risk and moving to the US by myself from a developing nation was a major change for me. I was initially taken aback by the differences in expectations, work culture, available resources, and the standards expected within academic research. However, with time I came to appreciate how these checks and balances contribute to proper scientific rigor, safety, accountability, and reproducibility. Something that I take significant pride in is the fact that rather than giving up and crumbling under the pressure, I learned from the environment around me, adapted to its expectations, and developed into a more rigorous and confident scientist. I became more disciplined, strengthened my work ethic, and learned to accept criticism, failed experiments, and setbacks as opportunities to improve. What originally felt intimidating eventually became the environment in which I completed my PhD, published my research, and developed into the scientist I am today. This journey taught me that one of my greatest strengths is my ability to adapt and persevere. As I continue my postdoctoral training and work toward becoming an independent investigator, I know that I will encounter new scientific questions, unfamiliar challenges, and numerous setbacks. My experiences have given me the confidence that I can continue learning, adapting, and improving throughout my career."

What is your research about?

"My current area of research is focused on intracranial aneurysm (IA) biology and the molecular mechanisms by which environmental exposures and accelerated vascular aging may contribute to aneurysm development and rupture. This work builds directly upon my doctoral training work in environmental toxicology and cardiovascular medicine at the University of Louisville, where I investigated the effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on cellular and vascular aging. During my PhD studies I was able to demonstrate that chronic PM2.5 exposure can accelerate biological aging through telomere attrition and cellular senescence. I further examined the downstream vascular consequences of this phenotype, the data from which resulted in a first-author publication in Toxicological Sciences. I have also investigated pharmacological strategies targeting cellular senescence, including senolytic interventions, with this work very recently resulting in a second publication in Cardiovascular Toxicology.

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As part of my current postdoctoral research under Dr. Redi Rahmani, I aim on expanding this background in environmental toxicology and vascular aging into cerebrovascular disease, with a particular emphasis on intracranial aneurysms. I am developing expertise in our established murine IA induction model, which combines unilateral nephrectomy, hypertension induction, and intracisternal elastase injection to reproducibly model aneurysm formation and rupture. My current work uses this model to investigate mechanisms contributing to IA progression while developing the surgical, imaging, molecular, and histological expertise necessary to study this disease.

A major direction of my future research is to integrate this IA model with the inhalational exposure platform and environmental toxicology approaches I developed during my doctoral training. I am specifically interested in determining whether chronic PM2.5 exposure and the resulting acceleration of vascular aging and cellular senescence increase susceptibility to IA formation, progression, and rupture. This approach will allow me to combine my established expertise in inhalational exposures and aging biology with my developing expertise in cerebrovascular disease. Ultimately, I aim to establish a research program at the intersection of environmental toxicology, vascular aging, and intracranial aneurysm biology to better understand how environmental exposures contribute to cerebrovascular disease and identify potential mechanisms that can be therapeutically targeted."

What are your career goals and vision?

"My long-term career goal is to become an independent principal investigator and lead a translational research laboratory that will be focused on understanding how environmental toxicant exposures can contribute to vascular disease and dysfunction. Ultimately, I aim to establish an independently funded laboratory at the University of Louisville that integrates mechanistic laboratory science and animal models with clinically relevant human research. This approach will allow me to investigate the biological effects of environmental exposures on a cellular level while translating laboratory discoveries toward disease prevention and therapeutic strategies. During my 3-4 years of postdoctoral training, I aim to expand on my technical and writing skills and strengthen my expertise in in vivo disease models and exposure biology, publish some high-impact first-author manuscripts, and gain extensive experience with fellowship and NIH-style grant applications, required to lead an independent research program. A major component of my career development will be expanding my experience in translational human research. During my doctoral training, I contributed to human studies including Green Heart Louisville and the Nucleophilic Defense Against PM Toxicity (NEAT) trial. These experiences strengthened my interest in translating mechanistic findings into clinically relevant studies. Therefore, my plan is to gain further training in clinical study design, patient cohorts, biomarker analysis, biostatistics, and the ethical and regulatory requirements of human research. My postdoctoral training in Dr. Redi Rahmani’s laboratory, together with the collaborative research environment at the University of Louisville, will provide an excellent foundation for achieving these goals. By the completion of my postdoctoral training, I aim to be highly competitive for NIH K-series career development funding and a tenure-track faculty position, ultimately establishing a research program that advances environmental and translational biomedical science while mentoring the next generation of scientists."

If you are a postdoc at UofL and want to share your accomplishments, email us at ulpda@louisville.edu.