EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ralph Watson, an associate professor of medicine in the College of Human Medicine, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Hypertension, the first MSU physician to earn the distinction.
Watson, who is the director of the MSU Hypertension Clinic and co-director of the MSU Lymphedema Clinic, was chosen by the American Society of Hypertension board of directors. The society honors individuals who have distinguished themselves through excellence in their professional, scientific and clinical achievements and made significant contributions to the society and to cardiovascular health.
"It is a great honor for me to be recognized by my peers for excellence in scholarship, clinical skill and teaching in the field of hypertension," Watson said.
There are only 115 fellows in the United States, four of which are in Michigan.
"This is a rare honor, and the first of its kind at Michigan State University," said Mary Nettleman, chairperson of the Department of Medicine. "Dr. Watson is not only an exceptional physician but also a tremendous asset in teaching our medical students and residents."
Watson's research has focused on the molecular biology of arteries and veins in hypertension, and his work has been published in many journals, including the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, Clinical Cardiology, Journal of the Cardiometabolic Syndrome, Journal of Vascular Research and the American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
He has received 18 research grants, including funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Michigan Health Care Education Research Foundation, Michigan Kidney Foundation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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