Relief in sight for allergy sufferers with new Australia-wide pollen monitoring system
UQ Senior Researcher and director of the Lung and Allergy Research Centre, Dr Janet Davies, has been awarded a $30,000 grant to assist with building a national network of standardised pollen monitoring stations to assist allergy sufferers.
(extract) Award recipient Dr Janet Davies, who is the director of Lung and Allergy Research Centre and deputy director at the University of Queensland, said the grant would provide "a springboard for us to build a network of standardised pollen monitoring stations around Australia".
"That will enable us to accurately assess and forecast the level of pollen exposure for patients who are allergic to grass pollens," Dr Davies said.
"It'll work by group of academics at different institutions around Australians at the major urban centres ... we will each set up a pollen monitoring station using the same methodology for collection and counting."
"This will enable us to develop an understanding of the differences in the timing and level of exposure to important types of allergic pollen which is Australia is primarily grass pollen," she said.
Dr Davies said allergic rhinitis was one of the most common allergic conditions in Australia.
"Pollens in the air are what trigger attacks of hay fever and, in many pollen allergic people, asthma, so being able to avoid pollen exposure is important," she said.
