Cynthia Curl, PHD, MS
About
Cynthia L. Curl, MS, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Health at Boise State University, where she studies the intersection between agricultural production and human health and directs the Curl Agricultural Health Lab. She has particular interest in understanding pesticide exposures among farmworkers, residents of agricultural communities, and consumers. Dr. Curl is currently working on an NIEHS-funded K01 award to measure agricultural and dietary sources of glyphosate exposure among pregnant women. This project builds on previous 24-week organic diet intervention study, where she found that women who were provided weekly deliveries of organic produce during their pregnancies had significantly lower exposures to pyrethroid pesticides than those who received conventional produce. Dr. Curl teaches epidemiology and exposure science at Boise State University.
Education
- PhD, MS, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington
- BA, Chemistry, Swarthmore College
Affiliations
Research
The primary goal of Dr. Curl’s lab is to improve the health and safety of agricultural workers and their communities, and to aid consumers in making informed decisions about what they eat and what they feed their families. Her research focuses on developing evidence-based public health messages about how various agricultural production systems affect the health of workers and consumers. Current Research and Research Goals
Current Research and Research Goals
Dr. Curl’s most recent research focused on understanding the effect of an organic diet on pesticide exposure in pregnant women. She and her colleagues found that women who supplemented their existing diets with organic, rather than conventional, produce had sustained reductions in pesticide exposure throughout their pregnancies. Her upcoming research focuses on understanding how pregnant women may be exposed to the common herbicide, glyphosate (commonly known as Round Up). She and her team will explore both agricultural and dietary sources of potential glyphosate exposure among pregnant women in the Treasure Valley and the Magic Valley.
Current Funding
Dr. Curl’s current work is funded by a K01 Career Development award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health.