Video Transcript – Meet the Curl Agricultural Health Lab at Boise State

Video Transcript

[Narrator]: Established in 2015, the Curl Agricultural Health Lab at Boise State University has consistently worked to improve the health and safety of agricultural workers, farming communities, and consumers. Led by Dr. Cynthia Curl, the lab has worked with local partners to evaluate and reduce chemical and physical hazards in the agricultural workplace, such as the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, the Community Council of Idaho, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and the Idaho Potato Commission.

[Dr. Cynthia Curl, Principal Investigator]: Our work sits at the intersection between agricultural production and public health. We’ve worked with industry and government partners to reduce injuries in potato production and eliminate contamination in agricultural products. We’ve also worked with local healthcare organizations and community partners to measure and reduce pesticide exposure in vulnerable populations, like female farm workers and pregnant women who live near agricultural fields.

[Narrator]: Thanks to your generous donation, the Curl Agricultural Health Lab has been able to continue conducting novel research to improve the health and well-being of Idaho’s agricultural workers and agricultural communities, protecting vulnerable populations, from pregnant women to female farm workers, and supporting the development of the next generation of public health students.

[Annica Balentine, graduate assistant]: I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in this lab while I complete my Master’s in Public Health. It’s one thing to read about research in class, but it’s another thing entirely to actually be part of it, especially research that is so important in the state of Idaho. I was fairly new to environmental health before I started, but Dr. Curl is so committed to mentoring us that I just continued to learn more and more about the research process. I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects that I think most students aren’t exposed to until they begin their doctorate programs, so I just feel so lucky  to be a part of this amazing team, especially during these disconnected COVID times, and to have had this incredible learning experience that I will take with me after I graduate.

[Alejandra Hernandez, undergraduate assistant]: As an undergraduate student, I feel very lucky to have worked on this lab alongside Dr. Curl. I grew up in eastern Idaho and lived near fields my whole life and never considered the amount of pesticides we were exposed to and how they could potentially be harmful to pregnant women and others. This is my first time involved in research, and I was able to gain so much knowledge and work on a project that’s making a difference. This has been an amazing experience and I’m grateful to St. Luke’s and Select Health for their support.

[Narrator]: So thank you, we couldn’t do it without you.