Sheldon Oliver Watts, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Ritter Annex, 9th floor (004-09)
Philadelphia, PA 19122

(215) 204-7535 Office
(215) 204-1854 Fax

215-204-7535

sheldon.watts@temple.edu

Biography

Dr. Sheldon Oliver Watts received his PhD in nutrition from New York University, his MPH from Boston University in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and a dual bachelor’s of science from Cornell University in Nutrition and Biology. The focus of his doctoral work was on the growing problem of childhood overweight in the United States and its consequences. He examined the role elementary schools play in presenting nutrition information and establishing healthy eating behaviors in early childhood. His research also focused on ethnic variation in chronic disease risk in the United States. He investigated variation in coronary heart disease risk, health status and dietary intake amongst ethnic subgroups within the Black community. Dr. Watts has also worked extensively in the community as well. He recently collaborated with the Faith Based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH), an NIH funded longitudinal intervention project aimed at reducing hypertension amongst persons of African descent in community-based settings. Prior to joining Temple, Dr. Watts held a faculty appointment at New York University in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, where he also mentored undergraduate students.

Course Involvement

Nutrition and Health

Professional Seminar

Introduction to Community Health Programs

Publications/Presentations

Selected Publications

Watts SO, Piñero, DJ, Alter M, Lancaster KJ. An Assessment of Nutrition Education in Selected Counties in New York State Elementary Schools (K-5). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior; in press.

Lancaster KJ, Watts SO, Dixon LB. Dietary Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Differ among Ethnic Subgroups of Black Americans. Journal of Nutrition 2006;136:446-51.

Dalton S, Watts SO. Defining Childhood Obesity: Revised 2000 Growth Charts, Body Mass Index, and Public Perceptions. Topics in Clinical Nutrition.2002;17:7-20.

Selected Presentations

Watts SO,Lancaster KJ, Piñero, DJ, Alter M. An Assessment of Nutrition Education in Selected Counties in New York State Elementary Schools (K-5). Experimental Biology 2011. FASEB Journal. 2011; 24: A274.

Lancaster KJ, Midberry SA, Watts SO, Cole HV, Schoenthaler AM, Ogedegbe GO. Lifestyle Barriers to Managing Hypertension in People of African Descent. Experimental Biology 2011. FASEB Journal. 2011; 24: A205.

Watts SO,Lancaster KJ, Piñero, DJ. An Examination of Teacher-Led Nutrition Education in New York City Elementary Schools, Grades K-5 (Pilot Study). Experimental Biology 2007. FASEB Journal. 2007; 20: A515.

Lancaster KJ, Watts, SO, Dixon, LB. Differences in CHD risk and dietary patterns in ethnic subgroups of Black American, 44^th Annual Conference in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2004. Circulation. 2004; 109:E143.

Watts SO,Lancaster KJ, Dixon, LB. Dietary patterns in ethnic subgroups of Black Americans. Experimental Biology 2003.FASEB Journal.2003; 17: A286.