Anikha Justin

Trees are found all around the world in significant, widespread, and dense populations, accounting for the majority of the world's pollen plants. Betulaceae is the Birch family consisting of flowering plants that are known for producing large amounts of pollen. Birch pollen is also known for being one of the most common airborne allergens. Rhinitis, asthma, and conjunctivitis are common symptoms of tree pollen allergies. What is unique about Birch pollen is that along with the usual allergy symptoms, the birch pollen can cross-react with fruit consumption to cause a more severe reaction. This is known as oral allergy syndrome. Regeneron has worked on creating a birch allergen medication that helps with these aggressive symptoms. In order to have this medication approved for production, the company must put the drug through a clinical trial. This project aimed to determine the proper time to dose patients during clinical trials at specific locations, such as Kingston, Ontario. To determine the most promising dosage time, I analyzed historical pollen data from that region and climate factors such as temperature, wind gust speed, and temperature. Literature supports that these factors play a large part in pollen distribution and when the season's peak will occur.