Lauren is a microbiology student at the University of Calgary with a keen interest in allergy, immunology and the microbiome. She has a passion for science and an eye for fashion, and aims to work at the intersection of these fields through her innovative EpiPen project. Growing up, Lauren managed multiple food allergies and is still anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts. The barriers that allergies created in her day-to-day life, as well as challenges she faced in carrying an EpiPen as a child drove her to identify a need for a more stylish and functional EpiPen carrier. She strongly believes anyone with allergies should be able to feel comfortable and confident, even when carrying an EpiPen. Further, after learning about the dramatic increase in allergic diseases worldwide, as well as the severe lack of knowledge surrounding anaphylaxis and epinephrine use, Lauren was inspired to design an educational campaign. She plans to incorporate a technological component into wearable and fashionable EpiPen carriers and accessories. Her goal is to make people with and without allergies more aware about the seriousness of allergies, the importance of EpiPens, and how to take appropriate action.
Lauren is an intern with MakeFashion Edu, using fashion to create allergy awareness. The goal of this project is to create fashionable and comfortable products for people to carry an EpiPen through day-to-day activities. On the pieces, electronics will be utilized to improve information distribution and emergency response in the case of a serve reaction.
Stay tuned for project progress!
