Christopher M. Gomez MD PhD has worked in the field of genetic disorders of the neuromuscular junction (congenital myasthenic syndromes) and cerebellum for more than 25 years. Dr. Gomez’s long term goals are to help characterize the pathogenic mechanisms that cause ataxia, develop treatments and to identify disease and stage-specific biomarkers of ataxia. Dr. Gomez is an expert in neurogenetic disorders, gait and balance disorders, and in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with ataxias -- a family of rare neurodegenerative diseases. Since 1991, Dr. Gomez has been on the medical and research advisory board of the National Ataxia Foundation. He is past chair of the Neurogenetics Section of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Gomez's laboratory research concentrates on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease--with a focus on the means by which genetic mutations in ion channels or other essential proteins lead to dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases. His research has resulted in more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals.
Dr. Gomez established The University of Chicago Ataxia Center in 2006 as a specialty clinic and research center devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ataxias, and as focal points for translational and clinical research. Dr. Gomez has over 20 years of expertise in the evaluation and treatment of patients with diverse forms of degenerative ataxia.
Dr. Gomez is a founding member of the Cooperative Ataxia Group, a national consortium of ataxia specialists that launched the fi rst rating scale and natural history studies for Friedreich’s Ataxia (D. Lynch, PI). He is also a member (UC site) of the newly funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Network for Autosomal Dominant Ataxias (T. Ashizawa, PI). By assembling teams composed of physiologists, neuro-imagers and geneticists, Dr. Gomez has been involved since 1993 in genetic, phenotypic, and genotype-phenotype and studies of patients with a wide range of ataxia types.
Dr. Gomez helped characterize spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) and episodic ataxia type 2 and discovered SCA26. In the laboratory Dr. Gomez studies the disease process caused by the SCA6 and SCA26 mutations and looks for disease and stage-specific biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid of SCA patients.
University of California
Los Angeles, CA
Fellowship
The University of Chicago
IL
Residency
Michael Reese Hospital
Chicago, IL
Internship
The University of Chicago
IL
The University of Chicago
IL
Ph.D. Immunology
The University of Chicago
IL
B.A. Biology
Nongenetic Factors Associated With Onset and Severity of Hereditary Ataxia.
Nongenetic Factors Associated With Onset and Severity of Hereditary Ataxia. Neurology. 2026 Sep 08; 107(5):e218378.
PMID: 42555887
MT-ATP6 9035T>C Variant Causes Ataxia With Azoospermia and Apparent Anticipation in a Four-generation Kindred.
MT-ATP6 9035T>C Variant Causes Ataxia With Azoospermia and Apparent Anticipation in a Four-generation Kindred. Cerebellum. 2026 Apr 25; 25(3).
PMID: 42033631
Predictive models for ataxia progression and conversion in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and 3.
Predictive models for ataxia progression and conversion in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and 3. Brain. 2026 Apr 07; 149(4):1268-1277.
PMID: 41150672
Monitoring the Progression of Pre-Ataxic Gait in SCA2 with Inertial Sensors Over Four Years.
Monitoring the Progression of Pre-Ataxic Gait in SCA2 with Inertial Sensors Over Four Years. Cerebellum. 2026 Mar 25; 25(2).
PMID: 41876820
Peripheral frataxin levels govern long-term clinical progression in Friedreich ataxia.
Peripheral frataxin levels govern long-term clinical progression in Friedreich ataxia. BMJ Neurol Open. 2026; 8(1):e001561.
PMID: 41919005
Pearls & Oy-sters: SCA27B as an Elusive Genetic Cause of Episodic Neurologic Symptoms in Later Adulthood.
Pearls & Oy-sters: SCA27B as an Elusive Genetic Cause of Episodic Neurologic Symptoms in Later Adulthood. Neurology. 2026 Mar 24; 106(6):e214754.
PMID: 41698164
Pre-Frontal Cortical Activity During Gait is Altered in Pre-Manifest and Early Spinocerebellar Ataxia.
Pre-Frontal Cortical Activity During Gait is Altered in Pre-Manifest and Early Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2026 03; 40(3):190-198.
PMID: 41456196
Digital Gait Measures Discriminate People with Friedreich's Ataxia from Healthy Controls.
Digital Gait Measures Discriminate People with Friedreich's Ataxia from Healthy Controls. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2026 May; 13(5):1245-1254.
PMID: 41408995
Progression of Gait Ataxia in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: Clinical Utility of Digitally Measured Gait Metrics.
Progression of Gait Ataxia in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: Clinical Utility of Digitally Measured Gait Metrics. Cerebellum. 2025 Nov 26; 24(6):184.
PMID: 41296201
Correction: The Natural History Study and Biomarker Collection of the Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia (CRC-SCA).
Correction: The Natural History Study and Biomarker Collection of the Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia (CRC-SCA). Cerebellum. 2025 Nov 11; 24(6):172.
PMID: 41217650