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Mario Alberto Gomez Zamora

Lecturer, Theater and Performance Studies

Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMario A. Gómez Zamora’s first book project explores the cultural tensions that queer Indigenous P’urhépechas face when participating in their communities’ traditions. Through the lens of queer theory, dance studies, and performance studies, Mario analyzes how Indigenous communities reproduce colonial violence against queer individuals in the present, and how queer P’urhépechas work toward new futures through danzas and performances in P’urhépecha fiestas and ceremonies while they claim their indigeneity as part of the collective in Michoacán and among those P’urhépechas who migrated to the Pacific Coast and Midwest of the United States. To trace the stories of marginalized Indigenous people in both their homelands and in sites of migration, Mario combines Indigenous methodologies, such as talking-while-walking through the landscape, with oral histories, semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and archival research. His scholarship reshapes queer studies, migration studies, and performance studies by examining how queer P’urhépechas are embraced by the collective via their participation in danzas as female characters but are still subjects of anti-gay violence and death beyond the performance space. This is a project of hope, life, and resistance to the hegemonic normativity in the P’urhépecha landscape.

Natalia Gomez-Ospina

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Genetics)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests1. Genome Editing and HSPC-Based Therapeutics

Dr. Gomez-Ospina’s research focuses on developing autologous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell therapies using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Her work includes targeted integration of therapeutic transgenes into genomic safe-harbor loci, optimization of editing efficiency and safety, and development of transplantation and conditioning strategies that preserve long-term engraftment. A major goal is to create reusable, mutation-agnostic therapeutic platforms that can be adapted across diseases. Her translational work also extends to GMP manufacturing, analytical development, and IND-enabling studies needed to move genome-edited HSPC products toward clinical trials.

2. Neurometabolic and Neurodegenerative Disease Therapeutics

A major area of interest is the development of definitive therapies for lysosomal storage disorders and other neurogenetic diseases, including MPS I, Gaucher disease, Krabbe disease, progranulin deficiency, and Friedreich’s ataxia. Her laboratory investigates how hematopoietic-derived cells can deliver therapeutic proteins to peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. This includes strategies to enhance microglial replacement, improve CNS engraftment, and harness myeloid cells as therapeutic vehicles. The broader objective is to establish cell-based approaches capable of treating both inherited neurometabolic disorders and more common neurodegenerative diseases.

3. Rare Disease Genetics, Functional Genomics, and Lysosome Biology

Dr. Gomez-Ospina also studies the molecular basis of rare and undiagnosed genetic disorders. Through clinical genetics, international collaborations, and the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network, her work contributes to novel disease-gene discovery, functional validation of candidate variants, and definition of genotype–phenotype relationships. Her laboratory also investigates lysosomal biology and develops systems-level approaches, including the Lysosome Disease Atlas, to connect lysosome-associated genes with cellular function and human phenotypes. These efforts aim to improve diagnosis while identifying new disease mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.

For more information go to our website:

https://www.gomezospina.com/