Postdoctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin: Modeling 'cedar fever'
Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) is one of the most abundant trees in central Texas but this infamous producer of allergenic pollen is also the cause of 'cedar fever.' The goal of this research is to create process-based models of airborne pollen concentrations for J. ashei. To do so, I am conducting field studies, running a citizen science project (Pollen Trackers), designing an automated pollen release measurement device (the Pollen Platter), combining data from these projects with remote sensing data, and comparing these with several sources of airborne pollen concentrations including measurements from the National Allergy Bureau. To assess the effects of exposure on respiratory health I am also conducting epidemiological analyses of asthma-related emergency department visits. This project is advised by Dr. Elizabeth Matsui at the Dell Medical School and Dr. Shalene Jha in Integrative Biology.
Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) is one of the most abundant trees in central Texas but this infamous producer of allergenic pollen is also the cause of 'cedar fever.' The goal of this research is to create process-based models of airborne pollen concentrations for J. ashei. To do so, I am conducting field studies, running a citizen science project (Pollen Trackers), designing an automated pollen release measurement device (the Pollen Platter), combining data from these projects with remote sensing data, and comparing these with several sources of airborne pollen concentrations including measurements from the National Allergy Bureau. To assess the effects of exposure on respiratory health I am also conducting epidemiological analyses of asthma-related emergency department visits. This project is advised by Dr. Elizabeth Matsui at the Dell Medical School and Dr. Shalene Jha in Integrative Biology.
Oak flowering phenology in the Detroit metropolitan region in spring 2017 (Katz et al. 2019)
Postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan: Urban-scale variation in airborne pollen concentrations
In this project, I leveraged methods from plant ecology and remote sensing to understand and predict airborne pollen concentrations on scales of hundreds of meters to kilometers. Specific projects include:
In this project, I leveraged methods from plant ecology and remote sensing to understand and predict airborne pollen concentrations on scales of hundreds of meters to kilometers. Specific projects include:
- Ragweed niche modeling within Detroit
- Identification of trees within Detroit using remote sensing data
- Development of allometric equations for pollen production by several tree species
- Quantification of flowering phenology using field measurements and remote sensing (see animation)
- Parameterization of pollen atmospheric dispersion models
- Creation of portable and programmable pollen samplers
- Assessment of variation in airborne pollen concentrations
- Process-based model of airborne pollen concentrations
Dissertation research at the University of Michigan: Range expansion dynamics of plants
My dissertation focused on the range expansion of plants in response to climate change. I assessed the potential for biotic interactions to either facilitate plant range expansion (via natural enemy release during establishment) or to prevent establishment in sites beyond their range (biotic resistance). To do so, I conducted field experiments, observational studies, and meta-analyses. Click here to see publications from this research. This research was supported in part by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and Dissertation Improvement Grant and advised by Inés Ibáñez at the School for Environment and Sustainability. |
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