Rebecca Pompano

@pompanolab.bsky.social

2251 Followers 236 Following

Assoc Professor @ University of Virginia. Microfluidics | Bioanalytical Chem | Ex vivo models of immunity | Organs-on-chip | Vaccines | DEI | www.pompanolab.com

Screenshot of website, https://www.grc.org/sex-differences-in-immunity-conference/2025/, which shows "Apologies. You've landed on a missing page."

Plot showing the area of the lymph node tissue occupied by tumor cells, 1 hour and 20 hours after adding tumor cells to the tissue ex vivo. Inguinal (iTDLN) and axillary (aTDLN) lymph nodes from tumor-bearing mice both had about 20-25% less tumor-positive area than lymph nodes from naive animals.

Immunofluorescence images of murine lymph node, stained for podoplanin (lymph node stroma), CD19 (B cells), and Lyve-1 (lymphatics), with tumor cells in cyan. Left: Whole tissue slice; scale bar 200 um. Right: Zoomed view; scale bar 20 um; subcapsular sinus outlined in white dashes. Tumor cells are visible in the sinus as well as around the B cell follicle.

URL: https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/sgmro/directors-corner

Webpage says "404 Error page" ... "We can't find the page you're trying to view"

Collage of fluorescence images of lymph nodes, photo of lab group smiling outside at UVA in Summer 2024, and schematic of immunofluorescence labeling in live tissue explants.

Figure from paper. (a) Immunofluorescence images of human tonsil, showing adjacent zones for T cells and B cells. (b) Schematic of T and B cell differentiation and interaction, leading to IgM production. (c) Schematic of a planar microfluidic chip with three adjacent lanes for cell-laden hydrogel, in which T cells and B cells can be loaded separately or mixed together.

Post from Rebecca Pompano. "I have a question for my polymer chemist and biomaterials colleagues. In the radical mediated crosslinking reaction of GelMA (gelatin methacryol, here shown as methacrylate), what is the proper product?" Hand drawing of reaction, with a question for the product.

Table of contents graphic: Photoexposure of a gel crosslinks it in a microchamber. NMR spectra show vinyl peaks decaying, with lower peaks showing greater stability in a microscale Earth pattern.

May I use generative AI in this class?
My current viewpoint in this evolving space is that generative AI is a useful tool to accelerate some tedious routine tasks, similar to how calculators and Excel accelerate mathematical calculations and data analysis. It can be gainfully used to accelerate information gathering, summarize texts, generate flashcards, and help study.

However, similar to how a calculator is best used after students first learn to do long division by hand, for essential scientific skills, generative AI is best used only after students first learn those skills themselves. This includes composing scientific communication for writing and presentations, and answering conceptual and quantitative scientific questions (e.g. in a problem set).

Therefore you may use AI to help you study and learn, but not to provide answers to problem sets or to write any portion of a paper or content of a presentation. Detailed examples of this policy are in a separate document.

Schematic of proposed cascade. Poly I:C leads to IFNa, which leads to IFNg, which induces CXCL9 in the interfollicular region. cGAMP adjuvant also induces IFNa, IFNg, and CXCL9, whereas adjuvants R848 and Flagellin induce IFNg and CXCL9 only.

Immunofluorescence imaging after intracellular staining in lymph node slices. White outlines of B220+ cells (B cells), with some blue lymphoid cells (IFN-gamma producing) and a few larger, non-lymphoid pink cells (IFN-alpha producing).

Experimental design: Adding IFN-gamma and/or IFN-alpha to the media over ex vivo lymph node slices induced the production of CXCL9 and/or CXCL10 in a dose-dependent manner.

Graphical abstract. Vaccination with poly I:C leads to IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma production, which causes CXCL9 upregulation in the lymph node. In contrast, vaccination with alum does not induce IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, or CXCL9.

Images of lymph node tissue labeled by immunofluorescence. Breast cancer cell line (BRPKp110) in teal; B cells in green (CD19), lymphatics in purple (Lyve-1), stromal cells in grey (podoplanin).

Graphical abstract: Schematic of photopatterning, with NMR spectrum showing a methacrylate peak going down, and a photopatterned earth that is less stable at higher peak heights and more stable at lower peak heights.

Two-lane bike lane next to each major road that I saw.

Rotterdam's Cube houses! People really live in these tilted cubes.

Statue in LUMC... "the one who waits"

Pompano lab poses after Katerina's defense, smiling at camera. Dr. Katerina is in the center in white dress.

Smiling student in front of poster.

Graphic with four parts: In vitro, in silico, in chemico, and (centrally) data ecosystem.

Pompano lab smiles for the camera after Hannah's PhD defense. Hannah is in the center in blue and gold.

Hannah in orange sweater leans into computer, while three other researchers take notes beside her.

Yoojin smiling at the camera. Long dark hair and blush-colored sweater, sunny window behind her.

Power point slide: Maurer 3 Levels of Resistance to Change. "I don't get it" leads to "I don't like it" leads to "I don't like you".

TOC figure. Viable cells exposed to in situ photocrosslinking. Images of choice between "high hydrogel porosity" and/or "ROS scavenging," leading to viable, spread cells in the crosslinked gel.

Table of contents figure: A flow chamber with a tissue slice inside has an purple-colored oxygen sensor film below. A zoomed-in view at the right shows a microscope image of a slice of a three-lobed lymph node on the film, with B cell zones labelled, and signal from the sensor showing hypoxic regions in three central T cell zones.

Sophie presenting her title slide at the start of her defense.

Pompano lab group photo from summer 2023. Three rows of smiling people sitting on brick steps.