Many Pompano Lab members attended the 2026 Microphysiological Systems World Summit in DC!
Highlights include Djuro’s oral presentation titled, “Developing a modernized T cell dependent antigen response assay using a lymph node microphysiological system,” and poster presentations from Saweetha, Erin, Parastoo, and Lauren.
The Hunt Fellowship is a departmental award that honors Professor Donald F. Hunt, an accomplished UVA Chemistry faculty member from 1968-2023. Congratulations, Erin!
From Djuro: This fellowship will give me the opportunity to take the technology I've been developing in the Pompano lab to market. Specifically, my effort will be spent on developing a modernized version of the TDAR assay using a 3D culture system that mimics key immunological events taking place in the human lymph node. Additionally I'm excited at the opportunity to learn more about biotech development and navigating the sphere of entrepreneurship.
Congrats, Djuro!!
As part of the requirements to graduate, 4th-year chemical engineering PhD student Parastoo defended her dissertation proposal to a public audience and her committee. Great job, Parastoo!
The Harrison Undergraduate Research Award is provides funds to outstanding undergraduates students to pursue a research project over the summer and the course of the following academic year. Sara will be continuing her work studying the impacts of fluid flow on LN slice hypoxia with mentor Yoojin. Avneesh will work towards predicting the effects of estrogen on humoral immunity using a lymph node microphysiological system with mentor Saweetha. Congrats, Sara and Avneesh!
Sahana presented her research to both her committee and a public audience as part of a graduate requirement. Great job, Sahana!
For our fall service event, the Pompano Lab enjoyed writing and decorating letters for seniors through the organization Letters Against Isolation. Our letters were sent to Meals on Wheels in Santa Monica, CA.
October 20, 2025
The Pompano lab enjoyed apple cider slushies, apple cider donuts, beautiful views, and apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard!
October 16-17, 2025
4th year graduate students Sahana and Erin attended and presented posters at the Midwestern Universities Analytical Chemistry Conference (MUACC) 2025 at UNC Chapel Hill. Erin was one of two people who received the top prize for her poster entitled “Towards Modeling Vaccine Drainage Using Ex Vivo Lymph Node Slices in a Microfluidic Device.”
pompanogroup@virginia.edu
Department of Chemistry
University of Virginia
PO BOX 400319
Charlottesville, VA22904
409 McCormick Road
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA22904
(434) 924-7723
Chemistry 107
See Getting Here for a map and directions to the Chemistry building.
Lab Summit, 2025
Lab Summit, 2024
Lab Summit, 2023
Lab Summit, 2022
Lab summit, Feb 2020
Group Picture, 2016
