Russom Lab – Clinical Microfluidics:
We develop and apply micro- and nanofluidic technologies to study disease mechanisms and enable diagnostics and therapeutic strategies, spanning cancer, nanomedicine, and global health.
We are a multidisciplinary research team working at the interface of microfluidics, nanobiotechnology, and biomedical engineering, with a strong focus on health applications. Our research aims to develop and apply micro- and nanoscale technologies to better understand disease mechanisms and enable improved diagnostics and therapeutic strategies, both in advanced clinical settings and in resource-limited environments.
A central theme of our work is microfluidic control and manipulation of biological particles and systems, ranging from cells and pathogens to extracellular vesicles, nanoparticles, and lipid-based nanocarriers. We advance inertial and elasto-inertial microfluidic approaches to enable efficient, label-free separation and enrichment of clinically relevant nano- and microscale entities, with applications in exosome-based diagnostics and nanomedicine development.
Our research spans several interconnected application areas. In global health, we coordinate the EU–Africa project HOLICARE, where we develop and evaluate point-of-care diagnostic technologies tailored for respiratory and infectious diseases in resource-limited settings, in close collaboration with clinical and public-health partners in Africa and Europe. In cancer research, we contribute to diagnostics and therapy through the Fiber for Life initiative, exploring fiber-based and microfluidic technologies for localized sensing, treatment, and monitoring. We are also developing organ-on-chip and microphysiological models to study the tumor microenvironment and its interaction with diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
Across these domains, our group emphasizes translation-oriented research, combining microfluidic design, bioengineering, and system integration with clinical relevance and real-world constraints. We collaborate closely with academic, clinical, and industrial partners and contribute to interdisciplinary training of students and researchers at the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine.
Group members
Aman Russom, Prof. & head of Division of Nanobiotechnology
Oana Tudoran, PhD
Ines Pinto, PhD
Ahmad Akhtar, PhD
Kenia Chaves, PhD
Selim Tanriverdi, PhD
João Varela, PhD student
Ekeram Mitrovic, PhD student
Noa Lapins, lab technician