December 2021
Dr. Romero-Sandoval received a medical degree from Centro Universitario de Occidente, Quetzaltenango (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala) in 1999 and a Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience from Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain, in 2003. He completed postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC (2003-2006) and Geisel Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH (2006-2007). Dr. Romero-Sandoval has held academic positions (2007-2012) at Geisel Dartmouth Medical School and served as Director of Research (2013-2017) at Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in Clinton. Currently, Dr. Romero-Sandoval is an Associate Professor in Anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The Romero-Sandoval laboratory explores neuroimmune interactions in surgical and neuropathic pain but also in neuropathies induced by diabetes or chemotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Romero-Sandoval studies the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoids in the context of pain, and more recently his lab studies how the cannabis market in the U.S. is shaped and how this could affect patients that use cannabis as an alternative to current ineffective pain medications. The Romero-Sandoval laboratory uses highly translatable clinical approaches such as nanotechnology for potential cell-directed gene therapies or studies on marketing practices to develop more effective and safer strategies to treat chronic pain.