Meet the Team

Karol E. Watson, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed the John Mazziotta, M.D., Ph.D. Chair in Medicine. Dr. Watson, an attending cardiologist and professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was selected for her leadership and accomplishments in the field of cardiovascular medicine. She is currently director of the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center and the UCLA-Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Health Program. Support from the endowed chair will advance Dr. Watson’s work in research and education, improving the lives of patients now and in the future.

Dr. Watson is deeply committed to training the next generation of experts in cardiology, serving as director of the UCLA Cardiology Fellowship Program. In this capacity, she works with fellows who are on the program’s clinical track as well as the Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) track; STAR offers intensive research training in addition to comprehensive clinical education. Under her direction, the program has expanded from 19 fellows to 34. Dr. Watson also teaches medical students and residents and has received excellent evaluations from her pupils.

Along with her educational efforts, Dr. Watson actively contributes to research and service initiatives. She has published 33 peer-reviewed papers and is a principal investigator on several key National Institutes of Health studies, including the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study and the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Watson earned her medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed her internship, residency, and fellowship at UCLA. She also received a Ph.D. from UCLA.

All of us at the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center congratulate Dr. Watson on this well-deserved appointment.