As the director of Florida State University’s Cardiovascular & Applied Physiology Laboratory (CAP Lab), Joseph Watso is advancing research to improve heart health. The CAP Lab, which operates within the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, focuses on identifying factors that can be changed to lower the risk of chronic diseases.
A recent area of study for Watso’s team involves examining how breathing through the nose affects cardiovascular health. In 2023, their research found that nasal breathing can lower blood pressure and relax heart rate, suggesting a calming effect on the nervous system. These findings have been featured in major news outlets such as BBC and are being applied in clinical settings.
“I heard from a colleague at a local hospital that there was a clinic where some of the nurses would actually coach individuals who had high blood pressure to just breathe through their nose to try to relax them,” Watso said. “The fact that some of the work they were doing has direct application is always the best takeaway for our impact. It means a lot to me and especially to the team members.”
Watso emphasizes teamwork among students in his lab, encouraging open discussion and scientific questioning. Many former students have moved into fields like physical therapy, public health, and physician health.
“Everybody comes from a different background; they have different ideas, and we try to create a culture that allows them to share those ideas,” Watso said about his team. “But it’s also safe enough to question each other’s thoughts and ideas from a scientific point of view. I empower the students to help them get experiences leading and coming up with ideas and making decisions.”
His interests include applied physiology, cardiovascular physiology, exercise physiology, and environmental physiology—fields he became interested in as a child with an early curiosity about human performance.
“I sort of shifted to more of a health focus, specifically on cardiovascular health,” he added. “As we know, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes are major causes of death. And I found a lot of curiosity in how the body works and trying to understand that and trying to help people.”
Currently, much of Watso’s work centers on understanding blood pressure regulation as it relates to hypertension—a primary modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“That’s what we’re trying to address by using different interventions like exercise, diet and little tweaks and refinements for different individuals or populations on how to help keep their heart healthy as they age,” Watso said regarding education efforts around hypertension.
He stresses simple strategies for monitoring blood pressure: “The best investment is spending 20 bucks on a home blood pressure monitor and checking it a few times a month,” Watso suggested.
FSU supports several ongoing studies at CAP Lab related to heart health. Internal pilot grant awards have helped advance this research.
“There’s a lot of great collaborators on campus that I’ve worked with across departments and colleges,” Watso said. “I’ve been lucky enough to receive a few internal pilot grant awards that have really helped springboard our research.”
The CAP Lab continues its role in developing interventions against heart disease as part of FSU Health’s broader initiative aimed at transforming healthcare in Florida through integrated research, education, and clinical care.
