Current Position

Assistant Professor
Director, Cardiovascular & Applied Physiology (CAP) Laboratory
Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology
College of Health & Human Sciences
Florida State University
Email: jwatso@fsu.edu

Rapid Fire Q&A - The Physiology Magazine, Jan 2022 (Page 18 of PDF)

Research Training

As an undergraduate student, I conducted research in the Laboratory for Human Performance in the School of Health Sciences at Salisbury University (2013 to 2015).

As a graduate student, I conducted research in the Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory at the University of Delaware (2015 to 2019). We examined the effects of high dietary salt and dehydration on blood pressure regulation at rest and during exercise in humans.

As a postdoctoral fellow, I conducted research in the Thermal and Vascular Physiology Laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2019-2022). I led projects examining how pain medications affect the nervous system, heart, and blood vessels. Additionally, I contributed to studies that evaluated cooling strategies for vulnerable populations to prevent exaggerated increases in body temperature and, consequently, reduce heart and blood vessel strain.

More About Me

Why did I start lay science writing?
There is a ton of scientific research related to health, but it is sometimes hidden within subscription-based academic journals. My goal is to share the science with you, the reader, with the hopes of positively influencing your understanding of and ability to maintain good health. On my end, diving into the science and trying to make sense of it all turns out to be an excellent learning tool. So as far as sharing information with others and feeding my own curiosity, writing for a public audience turns out to be a win-win.

Where did my interest in physiology (how the body works) start?
While running on my high school track team, I became intrigued to learn why some people are fast, while others (like myself) are not so lucky, despite the same training. As a result, I decided on Exercise Science for my undergraduate major and developed an interest in cardiovascular function and health.

What is in store for the future?
The long-term goal of the CAP Lab is to research cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment strategies in clinical populations, such as those with obesity, older adults, and those with hypertension. Additionally, I am interested in strategies to mitigate the negative effects of environmental stressors, such as heatwaves. In addition to performing human health research, I plan to continue to read and share new, exciting, and informative health science research findings while doing my best to provide actionable takeaways.

Check out the ‘outreach’ page to learn about the human body and factors that affect our bodies such as exercise, nutrition, body temperature regulation, sleep, and more. I am always happy to connect with new people, so go ahead and shoot me a message with comments or questions on the ‘contact’ page.