Rate My Professor Jeff Watson

Jeff Watson, Ph.D., serves as Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at Gonzaga University. He holds a Ph.D. in Structural Biology from Purdue University. Watson's research program investigates the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase from Burkholderia cenocepacia, a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen responsible for lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. His laboratory explores the enzyme's distinctive biochemistry, including its oxidative and cooperative kinetics, dynamic oligomerization, and morpheein behavior, which contribute to its tight regulation and potential as a novel antibiotic target. Employing protein chemistry, spectroscopy, molecular biology, and bioinformatics, Watson's work elucidates the molecular mechanisms governing bacterial physiology and pathogenesis.

Watson has significantly advanced undergraduate research at Gonzaga University, previously serving as Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry. He has led initiatives such as the Gonzaga Science Research Program and contributed to the Morris Undergraduate Research Program, facilitating student involvement in cutting-edge science. In 2014, he participated in obtaining a W.M. Keck Foundation grant to bolster undergraduate research infrastructure and skills training. In 2020, Watson collaborated with colleagues on an NSF grant to acquire an atomic force microscope, enhancing research capabilities in biochemistry and related fields. He has mentored students in projects leading to conference presentations, including studies on gene deletion in bacterial HMG-CoA reductase. Watson integrates research experiences into first-year seminars, promoting early engagement with scientific inquiry. Key publications include 'Kinetic characterization of an oxidative, cooperative HMG-CoA reductase from Burkholderia cenocepacia,' and abstracts on its regulation presented at the Protein Society and ASBMB meetings.