Ronald R Watson PhD

Ron Watson, PhD, has edited 88 biomedical books, particularly in nutrition and food sciences. He published 450 papers, and presently directs several NIH funded biomedical grants relating to bioactive disease particularly immune function and cardiovascular effects including studying complementary and alternative medicines. Professor Ronald Ross Watson was Director of a National Institutes of Health funded Alcohol Research Center for 5 years. The main goal of the Center was to understand the role of ethanol-induced immunosuppression on immune function and disease resistance in animals. He is an internationally recognized alcohol-researcher, nutritionist and immunologist. He also initiated and directed other NIH-associated work at The University of Arizona, College of Medicine. Dr. Watson has funding from companies and non-profit foundations to study bioactive foods' components in health promotion. Professor Watson attended the University of Idaho, but graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a degree in Chemistry in 1966. He completed his Ph.D. degree in 1971 in Biochemistry from Michigan State University. His postdoctoral schooling was completed at the Harvard School of Public Health in Nutrition and Microbiology, including a two-year postdoctoral research experience in immunology. Professor Watson is a distinguished member of several national and international nutrition, immunology, and cancer societies. He has been doing studies of dietary supplements in treatment of diabetes and related cardiovascular disease including heart failure.

Educational Background:

1966 Bachelor of Science, Department of Chemistry, Brigham Young University. Major: Chemistry Minor: Mathematics & Spanish

1971 Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, Minor: Nutrition and Organic Chemistry

1971-73 Post-Doctoral Fellow, School of Public Health, Harvard University.

Selected Publications:

Watson RR, Gerald JK, Preedy VR.  Nutrients, Dietary Supplements, and Nutriceuticals: Cost Analysis versus Clinical Benefits, Humana Press, pages 486, 2010.

Watson RR, Preedy VR. Bioactive Foods and Extracts: Cancer Treatment and Prevention, CRC Press part of Taylor and Francis, pages 643, 2010.

Zibadi S, Vazquez R, Larson DF, Watson RR. T lymphocyte regulation of lysyl oxidase in diet-induced cardiac fibrosis. Cardiovas Toxicol 10:190-206, 2010.

Farid R, Rezaieyazdi Z, Mirfeizi MR, Hatef M, Mirheidari H, Mansouri H, Esmaelli H, Bentley G, Lu Y, Foo Y, Watson RR.  Oral Intake of purple passion fruit peel extract reduces symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Nutrition Research, 30: 601-606, 2010.

Zibadi S, Vazquez R, Moore D, Larson DF, Watson RR. Myocardial lysyl oxidase regulation of cardiac remodeling in a murine model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 297: H976-82, 2009.

Zibadi S, Rohdewald P, Watson RR.  Reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with type 2 diabetes by Pycnogenol supplementation. Nutrition Research 28: 315-320, 2008.