College of Health Associate Dean for Research Perry Hystad and two researchers from the University of Washington are leading a new study with a combined NIH award of about $3.86 million over four years. The team also includes co-investigators and COH faculty Andrew Larkin and Matt Bozigar and will explore how outdoor aeroallergens such as pollen and mold impact people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD impacts millions of Americans, yet we still don’t know how much day-to-day exposure to pollen and mold worsens symptoms or triggers flare-ups. Until recently, that question was hard to answer because reliable, local allergen data were scarce.

This project changes that. The team will use new, AI-enabled monitors that “see” and identify airborne particles in near real time, alongside historical data, to build high-resolution maps of pollen and mold levels across neighborhoods and seasons. These exposure maps will be linked with health information from two large cohorts, SPIROMICS and SOURCE, long-running research efforts that follow adults with COPD or those who are at high risk. These cohorts provide detailed health information such as symptoms, lung tests and imaging, that can be linked with the new environmental data.

The study will measure neighborhood-level pollen and mold across multiple cities using advanced AI-enabled monitors and geospatial modeling, then link those data to participants’ daily lives and clinical records. By tracking both short- and long-term exposure, the team will examine how aeroallergens relate to COPD symptoms, timing of flare-ups, lung function, and imaging findings.

“People with COPD often tell us that some days the air just makes it harder to breathe,” Perry says. “A lot of research has examined traditional air pollutants, but not aeroallergens. By pairing precise allergen measurements with rich clinical data, we can start to better understand, predict and ultimately prevent those bad days.”

A key goal is to understand who is most vulnerable. The team will evaluate whether allergic traits, such as higher blood eosinophils or aeroallergen sensitization, change how pollen and mold affect health among people with COPD.

“Not everyone responds to allergens the same way,” Hystad says. “Identifying the subgroups at greatest risk helps clinicians tailor care and helps patients make smarter day-to-day decisions.”

This work matters because COPD is a leading cause of illness and death, and climate change is lengthening and intensifying pollen seasons. By creating both historical and real-time allergen information, the project will support clearer public messages, personalized treatment choices, and practical tools like timely pollen alerts to reduce risk on high-allergen days.

“Our aim is practical impact,” Hystad says. “Better forecasts, better guidance, and better outcomes for people living with COPD.”