The Hunt Fellowship is a departmental award that honors Professor Donald F. Hunt, an accomplished UVA Chemistry faculty member from 1968-2023. Congratulations, Erin!
Saweetha presents at 3rd year poster session
Djuro was awarded the Viginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship!
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!!
Parastoo completes her Dissertation Proposal
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!
Undergrads Sara and Avneesh receive the Harrison Award!
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 gives her 4th year seminar
Sahana presented her research to both her committee and a public audience as part of a graduate requirement. Great job, Sahana!
Lab Service Event: Writing letters for senior citizens
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.
Lab Outing at Carter Mountain Orchard!
October 20, 2025
The Pompano lab enjoyed apple cider slushies, apple cider donuts, beautiful views, and apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard!
Sahana and Erin at MUACC at UNC Chapel Hill
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.”
Pompano lab stuns at the 2025 UVA Chemistry Retreat
October 14, 2025
Each year, the UVA Chemistry Department hosts a retreat at Kings Family Vineyard. 4th year graduate student Sahana had the honor of presenting her work developing a cytokine detection immunoassay for the entire department. Great job, Sahana!
