On a frigid morning in mid-January, tiny flurries swirled outside the University of Iowa State Hygienic Lab building as an unusual sight, an eighteen-wheeler UPS semi-truck, slowly backed up to the loading dock with a daily delivery of samples. Inside the truck was a record-breaking haul: fifty-five 4’ x 4’ bags containing COVID-19 test kits from Iowans across the state. Each bag contained...

Test Iowa reached a milestone today: 100,000 tests have been conducted, all by the State Hygienic Lab (SHL) at the University of Iowa, since the program began on April 25. Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement to announce the test numbers. “In the face of a global pandemic, we had to be bold, ambitious, and move quickly to launch a comprehensive initiative to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa...

Christopher Atchison, Director of the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) at the University of Iowa, has announced plans to retire June 30 after serving the state of Iowa and the University of Iowa in that role for a decade. Atchison also will retire at the same time from his positions as College of Public Health Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Clinical Professor in Health Management and...

Since 1904 the State Hygienic Laboratory has operated as Iowa’s public health laboratory, helping Iowans in all 99 counties by testing and screening for infectious diseases and environmental contaminants.