Rate My Professor Henry Gomez

Dr. Henry Gomez serves as Senior Project Officer in the VIVA team within the School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, at the University of Newcastle. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Newcastle, a Graduate Certificate in Science from the University of New England, and a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. As Senior Research Officer for the internationally renowned FaceMatch initiative, developed in collaboration with the Hunter New England Local Health District, Gomez oversees efforts to revolutionize the diagnosis of syndromic intellectual disability conditions using advanced facial recognition technology, enabling earlier identification of facial dysmorphisms, informed family planning, and pathways to intervention and genomic testing. His career also includes leading the development and implementation of a world-first research platform for generating and characterizing real-world landscape fire smoke particulates, in partnership with the Newcastle Institute of Energy Resources, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, and others, supported by the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation and Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Gomez's research specializes in immunology, respiratory diseases, and syndromic conditions, with a focus on understanding the origins of childhood health issues and improving outcomes. Key areas include the effects of landscape fire smoke exposure on respiratory and cardiovascular health in early life and adulthood, and the influence of maternal iron status during pregnancy on offspring respiratory health. He has secured funding as lead investigator or collaborator on projects such as investigating iron status and supplementation in pregnancy ($30,000, Hunter Medical Research Institute, 2023), bushfire smoke implications for heart and lung health ($14,767, Hunter New England Local Health District, 2023), and cardiopulmonary impacts of environmental hazards ($75,000, National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2022). Notable publications encompass 'Female sex hormones and the oral contraceptive pill modulate asthma severity through GLUT-1' (Mucosal Immunology, 2025), 'Neonatal Chlamydia muridarum respiratory infection causes neuroinflammation within the brainstem during the early postnatal period' (Journal of Neuroinflammation, 2024), 'Landscape fire smoke airway exposure impairs respiratory and cardiac function and worsens experimental asthma' (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2024), and 'Investigating the Links between Lower Iron Status in Pregnancy and Respiratory Disease in Offspring Using Murine Models' (Nutrients, 2021). Awards include the European Respiratory Society/European Lung Foundation best abstract award for healthy lungs (2022) and finalist in the University of Newcastle Leadership Excellence Award (2023). His work advances environmental health research and scientific outreach for public literacy.