Publications and Research

Dr. Shomer's research training spans ophthalmology, neuroscience, neurogenesis and neurophysiology. His doctoral work through the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program examined the regulation of axonal sprouting in the adult brain; his subsequent ophthalmology research studied injury-induced neurogenesis in the adult mammalian retina.

Formal research training bears directly on medical-legal work. Evaluating causation in an injured eye requires the same discipline as evaluating a scientific hypothesis: establishing what the data actually show, weighing alternative explanations, distinguishing association from causation, and stating the limits of what the evidence supports. That training informs the causation analysis and standard-of-care analysis described elsewhere on this site.

Peer-Reviewed Publications and Dissertation

1. Cannestra AF, Pouratian N, Shomer MH, Toga AW. Refractory periods observed by intrinsic signal and fluorescent dye imaging. Journal of Neurophysiology. 1998;80:1522–32.
2. Wilson CL, Maidment NT, Shomer MH, Behnke EJ, Engel J, Fried I. Comparison of seizure related amino acid release in human epileptic hippocampus versus a chronic, kainate rat model of hippocampal epilepsy. Epilepsy Research. 1996;26:245–254.
3. Shomer MH, Wilson CL. Nitric oxide formation and excitatory amino acids in complex partial epilepsy: an in-vivo microdialysis study in conscious subjects. UCLA Undergraduate Science Journal. 1994;10:23–29.
4. Shomer MH. No Pain, More Gain. Research editorial. UCLA Health and Wellness Letter. 1994;1:14.
5. Shomer MH. The Role of Extrinsic Factors in the Regulation of Axonal Sprouting in Adult Brain. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. May 2002.

Scientific Presentations

1. Shomer MH, Kwong JMK, Caprioli J, Gordon LK. Neurogenesis in the adult rat retina after intra-ocular NMDA lesion. Vision Science, Lake Arrowhead, California, 2003.
2. Shomer MH, Chesselet M-F. Lesion-specific upregulation of nogo-A mRNA in adult brain. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, California, 2001.
3. Shomer MH, Chesselet M-F. Differential gene expression in dorsolateral striatum following cortical lesions that do or do not induce axonal sprouting. Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2000.
4. Shomer MH, Wilson CL, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Velasco AL, Engel J Jr, Fried I. Citrulline increase during temporal lobe seizures supports the role of nitric oxide formation in epilepsy: an in-vivo microdialysis study. Society for Neuroscience, Miami Beach, Florida, 1994.
5. Wilson CL, Shomer MH, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Velasco AL, Engel J Jr, Fried I. Ictal and interictal correlation of in-vivo microdialysis and neuronal activity of hippocampal formation and amygdala in complex partial epilepsy. American Epilepsy Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1994.
6. Mogil JS, Shomer MH, Chang WC, Kao B, Liebeskind JC. Inverse genetic correlation between morphine analgesia and hyperlocomotion in mice selectively bred for stress-induced analgesia. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, 1994.

Published Abstracts

1. Shomer MH, Kwong JMK, Caprioli J, Gordon LK. Neurogenesis in the adult rat retina after intra-ocular NMDA lesion. ARVO, 2004.
2. Shomer MH, Chesselet M-F. Lesion-specific upregulation of nogo-A mRNA in adult brain. Society for Neuroscience, 2001.
3. Shomer MH, Chesselet M-F. Differential gene expression in dorsolateral striatum following cortical lesions that do or do not induce axonal sprouting. Society for Neuroscience, 2000.
4. Behnke EJ, Wilson CL, Fried I, Maidment NT, Shomer MH, Engel J Jr. In-vivo microdialysis, field potential, and single unit recording in human hippocampus. Society for Neuroscience, 1995.
5. Shomer MH, Wilson CL, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Velasco AL, Engel J Jr, Fried I. Citrulline increase during temporal lobe seizures supports the role of nitric oxide formation in epilepsy. Society for Neuroscience, 1994;593.8:1453.
6. Wilson CL, Maidment NT, Behnke EJ, Shomer MH, Velasco AL, Engel J Jr, Fried I. Ictal and interictal correlation of in-vivo microdialysis and neuronal activity of hippocampal formation and amygdala in complex partial epilepsy. American Epilepsy Society, 1994.
7. Velasco AL, Wilson CL, Colder BW, Shomer MH, Behnke EJ, Khan SU, Engel J Jr. Relationship between interictal EEG spike, neuronal synchrony, and functional limbic pathways. Society for Neuroscience, 1994;593.3:1449.
8. Velasco AL, Wilson CL, Colder BW, Behnke EJ, Shomer MH, Khan SU, Engel J Jr. Synchrony in interictal EEG spiking and unit activity in patients with complex partial seizures. American Epilepsy Society, 1994.
9. Mogil JS, Shomer MH, Chang WC, Kao B, Liebeskind JC. Inverse genetic correlation between morphine analgesia and hyperlocomotion in mice selectively bred for stress-induced analgesia. Society for Neuroscience, 1993;732.11:1786.

Acknowledgments

Publications in which Dr. Shomer's contribution was acknowledged rather than credited with authorship.

1. Mogil JS, Sternberg WF, Kest B, Marek P, Liebeskind JC. Sex differences in the antagonism of swim stress-induced analgesia: effects of gonadectomy and estrogen replacement. Pain. 1993;53:17–25.
2. Marek P, Mogil JS, Sternberg WF, Panocka I, Liebeskind JC. N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonist MK-801 blocks non-opioid stress-induced analgesia. II. Comparison across three swim-stress paradigms in selectively bred mice. Brain Research. 1992;576:197–203.

Clinical Trial Participation

Dr. Shomer has served as Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator on multiple clinical trials, listed in the curriculum vitae. Clinical trial work requires protocol adherence, systematic documentation and objective outcome measurement — standards that carry over directly into medical-legal evaluation.