Dr. Rogers research focuses on human exposure to airborne biological material and resulting health effects in both indoor and outdoor environments. As an aerobiologist, she studies “the microbiology of the atmosphere” and is interested in all aspects of the aerobiological pathway including source, release, dispersal, transport, deposition and impact of bioaerosols. She investigates exposure to allergenic proteins and other components from pollen grains, fungal spores, pets, rodents, and insects. Her two main areas of intensive research focus are 1) the impact of global climate change on allergic disease from changes in the production and allergenicity of aeroallergens such as ragweed and grass pollen, and fungal spores e.g. Alternaria, and 2) measuring chitin in environmental samples and examining the role of chitin exposure and human chitinases in the development and exacerbation of asthma.
Articles
Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Amplify Alternaria alternata Sporulation and Total Antigen Production (with Julie Wolf, Nichole R. O’Neill, Michael L. Muilenberg, and Lewis H. Ziska), Environmental Health Perspectives (2010)
Allergens in Urban Elementary Schools and Homes of Children with Asthma (with W J. Sheehan, P A. Rangsithienchai, M L. Muilenberg, K Otsu, D V. Rivard, D R. Gold, J P. Lane, and W Phipatanakul), Annals of Allergy, Asthma, Immunology (2009)
Comparison of Alternaria measures in inner-city low-income housing by allergen assay and cultural analysis (with J L. Peters, M L. Muilenberg, H A. Burge, and J D. Spengler), Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (2008)
Climate Change, Aerobiology, and Public Health in the Northeast United States (with L H. Ziska and P R. Epstein), Mitigation and Adaptaptation Stratagies for Global Change (2008)
Monitoring Microbial Populations on Wide-body Commercial Passenger Aircraft (with Taylor L. McKernan, K M. Wallingford, M J. Hein, H A. Burge, and R Herrick), Annals of Occupational Hygiene (2008)
Proceedings
Inside the Greenhouse: The impacts of CO2 and climate change on public health in the inner city (with P R. Epstein) (2004)
Classification of Fungal Spore Levels From Burkard Spore Trap Recoveries (with M L. Muilenberg, C W. Wagner, and H A. Burge) (2000)
Comprehensive Guidelines for the Operation of Hirst-type Suction Bioaerosol Samplers (with M L. Muilenberg) (2000)
The Effects of UV-C on Biological Contamination of AHU’s in a Commercial Office Building: Preliminary Results (with R J. Shaughnessy and E Levetin) (1998)
Contributions to Books