Naomi Lomeli
Biography
Naomi Lomeli, Ph.D., is an Assistant Project Scientist in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 2019. Lomeli's research focuses on the neurological complications of cancer and its treatment, particularly examining the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment and peripheral neuropathy in ovarian cancer models.
Lomeli has contributed to the conceptualization, experimental design, and grant writing for two NIH R01 awards, including an NCI R01 examining the role of p38/JNK MAPK pathways in cisplatin-induced neurological toxicity. She has developed experimental rodent models to study chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and peripheral neuropathy, including a SKOV3.ip1 xenograft model in athymic nude rats and a syngeneic ID8 model in mice. Her work has demonstrated that N-acetylcysteine can prevent cisplatin-induced cognitive impairments in ovarian cancer models and has identified mitochondrial dysfunction as a key mechanism in chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity.
Lomeli has authored over 15 peer-reviewed publications and presented her research at national and international conferences, including oral presentations at the Society for Neuro-Oncology. She received the UC Irvine School of Medicine Outstanding Fellow Research Award in 2024 and the University of California President's Dissertation Year Fellowship in 2018-2019. She has mentored undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees and serves as an editorial reviewer for Neurotherapeutics and Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Return to topEducation
- B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 2013
- Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 2019
Distinctions
- Founding President's ARCS Foundation Scholar Award, 2017
- University of California President's Dissertation Year Fellowship, 2018-2019
- Lorna Carlin Foundation Fellowship, 2017
- UC Irvine School of Medicine Outstanding Fellow Research Award, 2024
Areas of Expertise
- Cancer Neuroscience
- Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Glioblastoma
- Cisplatin Neurotoxicity Mechanisms
- Ovarian Cancer Neurological Sequelae
- P38 JNK MAPK Signaling
- Neuroprotective Therapeutic Strategies
Recent Publications
- Goel Y, Argueta DA, Peterson K, Lomeli N, Bota DA, Gutpa K, “Neuronal p38 MAPK Signaling Contributes to Cisplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy” (opens in new tab), Antioxidants, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 445, 2025.
- Douglas C, Jain S, Lomeli N, Lepe J, Di K, Nandwana NK, Mohammed AS, Vu T, Pham J, Kenney MC, Das B, Bota DA, “Dual targeting of the mitochondrial Lon peptidase 1 and the chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity as a potential therapeutic strategy in malignant astrocytoma models” (opens in new tab), Pharmacological Research, vol. 215, pp. 107697, 2025.
- Lomeli N, Argueta D, Pearre D, Lepe J, Gupta K, Bota DA, “Development of Translational Models of Ovarian Cancer-Associated Cognitive Impairments and Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy”, 2025. Presented at UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center 12th Annual Stem Cell Science Symposium, February 12, 2025.
- Lomeli N, Bota DA, “Marizomib-induced neurological toxicities: regional brain differences in proteasome inhibition, synaptic alterations, and neurotransmitter release”, 2025. Presented at Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), November 19-23, 2025.
- Lepe J, Chen C, Lomeli N, Jain S, Bota DA, “MAGMAS silencing enhances the efficacy to GBM standard of care: a preclinical study”, 2025. Presented at Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), November 19-23, 2025.
- Jain S, Lomeli N, Lepe J, Ordaz DA, Pham J, Das B, Bota DA, “Mitochondrial LonP1 drives resistance to proteasome inhibitors in glioblastoma and offers a novel therapeutic target”, 2025. Presented at Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), November 19-23, 2025.
- Lomeli N, Pearre DC, Cruz M, Di K, Ricks-Oddie JL, Bota DA, “Cisplatin induces BDNF downregulation in middle-aged female rat model while BDNF enhancement attenuates cisplatin neurotoxicity” (opens in new tab), Experimental Neurology, vol. 375, pp. 114717, 2024.
- Lomeli N, Pearre DC, Lepe J, Argueta DA, Arellano MA, Ricks-Oddie JL, Gupta K, Bota DA, “N-acetylcysteine prevents cisplatin-induced cognitive impairments in an ovarian cancer rat model” (opens in new tab), Cancer Letters, vol. 611, pp. 217405, 2024.
- Lomeli N, Argueta D, Pearre DC, Lepe J, Gupta K, Bota DA, “Translational models of ovarian cancer-associated cognitive impairment and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy”, 2024. Presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), April 5-10, 2024.
- Das BC, Lepe JJ, Shareef MA, Lomeli N, Das S, Bota DA, “Identification of new hit to lead magmas inhibitors as potential therapeutics for glioblastoma” (opens in new tab), Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, vol. 91, pp. 129330, 2023.
- Lomeli N, Pearre DC, Lepe J, Bota DA, “N-acetylcysteine rescues cisplatin-induced CRCI in an ovarian cancer rat model”, 2023. Presented at International Cognition and Cancer Task Force (ICCTF), January 30-31, 2023.
- Bota DA, Taylor TH, Lomeli N, Kong XT, Fu BD, Schönthal AH, Singer S, Blumenthal DT, Senecal FM, Linardou H, Rokas E, Antoniou DG, Schijns VEJC, Chen TC, Elliot J, Stathopoulos A, “A Prospective, Cohort Study of SITOIGANAP to Treat Glioblastoma When Given in Combination With Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/Cyclophosphamide/Bevacizumab/Nivolumab or Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/Cyclophosphamide/Bevacizumab/Pembrolizumab in Patients Who Failed Prior Treatment With Surgical Resection, Radiation, and Temozolomide” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Oncology, vol. 12, pp. 934638, 2022.
- Lepe J, Lomeli N, Douglas C, Di K, Bota DA, “MAGMAS facilitates metabolic changes induced by stressors in glioblastoma”, 2022. Presented at Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), November 16-20, 2022.
- Lomeli N, Lepe J, Gupta K, Bota DA, “Cognitive Complications of Cancer and Cancer-Related Treatments – Novel Paradigms” (opens in new tab), Neuroscience Letters, vol. 749, pp. 135720, 2021.
- Gooch M, Mehta A, John T, Lomeli N, Naeem E, Mucci G, Toh YL, Chan A, Bota DA, Torno L, “Feasibility of Cognitive Training to Promote Recovery in Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Adolescent and Young Adult Patients” (opens in new tab), Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, vol. 11, pp. 290-296, 2021.
- Lomeli N, Di K, Pearre DC, Chung TF, Bota DA, “Mitochondrial-associated impairments of Temozolomide on Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells and Hippocampal Neurons” (opens in new tab), Mitochondrion, vol. 52, pp. 56-66, 2020.
- Lomeli N, Bota DA, “Targeting HSP90 in malignant gliomas: onalespib as a potential therapeutic” (opens in new tab), Translational Cancer Research, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. S460-S462, 2018.
- Di K, Lomeli N, Bota DA, Das BC, “Magmas inhibition as a potential treatment strategy in malignant glioma” (opens in new tab), Journal of Neuro-Oncology, vol. 141, pp. 1-10, 2018.
- John T, Lomeli N, Bota DA, “Systemic cisplatin exposure during infancy and adolescence causes impaired cognitive function in adulthood” (opens in new tab), Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 319, pp. 200-206, 2017.
- Lomeli N, Di K, Czerniawski J, Guzowski JF, Bota DA, “Cisplatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with impaired cognitive function in rats” (opens in new tab), Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 102, pp. 274-286, 2017.
Most Cited Publications
- Di K, Lomeli N, Wood SD, Vanderwal CD, Bota DA, “Mitochondrial Lon is over-expressed in high-grade gliomas, and mediates hypoxic adaptation: potential role of Lon as a therapeutic target in glioma” (opens in new tab), Oncotarget, vol. 7, no. 47, pp. 77457-77467, 2016.
- Lomeli N, Bota DA, Davies KJA, “The role of diminished stress resistance and defective adaptive homeostasis in age-related diseases” (opens in new tab), Clinical Science, vol. 131, no. 21, pp. 2573-2599, 2017.
Contact Information
Email: nrlomeli@hs.uci.edu
Phone: (949) 824-7851
Address: Falling Leaves, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92868
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Last updated on 5/23/2026.