Women in Medicine: Kathleen Watson, PhD

Why did you pursue a career in medicine?

Fifteen years ago, I helped build a nonprofit organization that supported people in managing chronic diseases - such as type 2 diabetes - in low-resource communities. After working on several projects, I realized that my interest was understanding these interventions from a mechanistic perspective. What were the mechanisms that lead to behavioral change and subsequent improvement in health outcomes? This led me to study epidemiology, focusing on psychiatric disorders and their relationship to metabolic pathology (such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes).

What is your work focused on?

First, I evaluate whether insulin resistance, a common precursor to type 2 diabetes, can lead to depression. I also ask whether specific interventions are helpful for people with both of these conditions. Second, I study epidemiologic strategies for testing new treatments.

One approach is to use an emulated target trials (ETT) to ask if a treatment is effective using health care claims or other observational data. Using this strategy may be a less expensive and time-consuming first step rather than starting with a randomized controlled trial.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

I enjoy the process of data analysis; I am always curious about what the data will tell us. I also love sharing findings with partners from an array of disciplines and hearing their unique perspectives. I am hopeful that we can take great strides in treating depression in the years to come with this collaborative approach. 

What advice would you give yourself when you started in the field, knowing what you know now?

I wish I could encourage my younger self to focus on pursuing my research interests rather than worrying about whether I could execute them.

After my Ph.D., I noticed that many students have interesting instincts and ideas but do not yet have the confidence to explore them.