Dr. James J. Watrous
Professor
Department of Biology
Office - Rm 220 Science Center
Research Lab - Rm 122 Science Center
Phone: 610-660-1829 (office)
           610-660-1083 (lab)
e-mail: jwatrous@sju.edu

Education:

- B.S. (1964) M.S. (1969) University of Dayton.
- Ph.D. 1972, Georgetown University

Professional Experience:

- Assistant (1972 - 1979), Associate (1979 - 1983) and Professor (1983 - present) of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
- Visiting Scientist (8/98 - 12/98) The Lankenau Medical Research Center

Courses Taught:

Bio I: Cells
Biometrics and Modeling
Neurobiology
Human Organism (non-majors)
Graduate Research Techniques
Applications of Calculus in the Life Sciences (Honors)
Chronobiology

Research Interests:

- The application of non-linear dynamics in human physiology.
- Electrocardiographic analysis of hormonal influences in college-age women.
- Determination of chaotic parameters in bursting neuronal systems.

Recent Presentations and Publications:

- Burgos, J.M., McBride, J.D., and J. Watrous.  The Dynamical Changes in the Heart during and post Menses in College-Aged Women.16th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, April 25-27, 2002.

-Hayes, R. D., Watrous, J., Xiao, J., Chen, H., Byrne, M., Byrne, J.H., and D. A. Baxter.  New Features of SNNAP 7.1 (Simulator for Neural Networks and Action Potentials)for Education and Research in Neurobiology. Program No. 22.25. 2002 Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience, 2002. Online.

- Rossi, M. and J. Watrous. Impact of menstruation on R-R and Q-T intervals in college aged women.  Presented at the 14th Annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA,  April 23, 2003.

- Pekala, A. and J. Watrous. Using SNNAP to simulate barnacle muscle voltage oscillations.  Presented at the 14th Annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA,  April 23, 2003.

- Lurie, D., Watrous J, Ratterman D.M. "Statistics Education for Undergraduate Biology Majors: An Interdisciplinary Approach" 2003 Proceedings of the American Statistical Association, Statistical Computing Section [CD-ROM], Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association., 2003.

- Lurie, D., Watrous, J. and D.M. Ratterman An interdisciplinary approach to teaching statistics to undergraduate life science majors provides numerous opportunities for data analysis projects.  Presented at the Joint Mathematical Meetings, MAA Session on Statistics Education; Discourse on Inference. Phoenix, AZ 2004               

- Lurie, D., Watrous, J. and D.M. Ratterman. An interdisciplinary approach to teaching statistics to undergraduate life science majors provides numerous opportunities for data analysis projects. Presented at the Joint Mathematical Meetings, MSS Session on Statistics Education; Discourse on Inference. Phoenix, AZ. 2004

-  Pham*, P.,  Walsh A. and A. Pekala * and J. Watrous. Geometric Model of Voltage Oscillations in Barnacle Muscle Fiber Using SNNAP. Thomas Jefferson University Sigma Xi Student Research Day. March 18, 2004.

- Murray**, C.E. and J. Watrous. 2004. Simulating the behavior of a networked R15 neuron using SNNAP. FASEB J. 18(4):A343.

- Pham*, P., A. Walsh*, A. Pekala* and J. Watrous. Geometric Model of Voltage Oscillations in Barnacle Muscle Fiber Using SNNAP. Presented at the 15th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA. April 23, 2004

- Murray**, C.E. and J. Watrous. 2004. Simulating the behavior of a networked R15 neuron using SNNAP. Presented at the 15th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA. April 23, 2004

- Watrous, J. ,D. Lurie,and D.M. Ratterman. 2004. The integration of cell biology and statistical education. Presented at the 44^th Annual meeting of The American Society of Cell Biology. Washington, DC. December 4-8.

- Lurie, D., J. Watrous and D.M. Ratterman. 2004. Statistics  Education for Undergraduate Biology Majors: An Interdisciplinary Approach. 2003 Joint Statistical Meetings- Section on Statistical Education. 2586-2589.

 - Watrous, J., Sampson, M. and A. Sopko. 2005. The Study of Cardiac Pathophysiology using LabHEART. FASEB J. 19(4): A233.

- Sopko, A. and J. Watrous. 2005. Age Related Changes in Electrocardiogram (ECG) Profiles in Women and Long QT Syndrome’s (LQTS) Effects on Cardiac Potassium Channels IKs and IKr. Presented at the 16^th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Students Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA. April 8, 2005.

- Sampson, M.R. and J. Watrous. 2005. Electrophysiological Alterations by Diabetes Mellitus to Ventricular Myocytes. Presented at the 16^th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Students Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA. April 8, 2005.

- Lamb, K. and J. Watrous. 2005. Mimicking the Electrical Activity of the Heart using SNNAP (Simulator for Neural Networks and Action Potentials. Presented at the 16^th Annual Saint Joseph's University Sigma Xi Students Research Symposium. Philadelphia, PA. April 8, 2005.

- Sampson, M. and J. Watrous. 2006. Electrophysiological Alterations by Diabetes Mellitus to Ventricular Myocytes. Proceedings of The National Conference On Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2005 Washington and Lee University Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Virginia .  913-921.

- Sopko, A. and J. Watrous. 2006. Age Related Changes in Electrocardiogram (ECG) Profiles in Women and Long QT Syndrome’s (LQTS) Effects on Cardiac Potassium Channels IKs and IKr. Proceedings of The National Conference On Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2005 Washington and Lee University Virginia Military Institute Lexington,Virginia .  894-900.

- Porcelli, A. and J. Watrous. 2006. Nifedipine as a prevention of lethal arrhythmias in Timothy Syndrome patients. Presented at The 17^th annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi student Research Symposium and The 60^th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA.

- Oliver, M. and J. Watrous. 2006. The role of conductance in long-term potentiation of a five cell neuronal network. Presented at The 17^th annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi student Research Symposium and The 60^th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA.

- Miller, M. and J. Watrous. 2006. Simulating cardiac pacemakers use R15, Epstein-Marder (EM), and Morris-Lecar bursting neuron models. Presented at The 17^th annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi student Research Symposium and The 60^th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA.

- Fierro, M.A. and J. Watrous. 2006. Using SNNAP (Simulator for Neural Networks and Action Potentials) to model the behavior of networked Morris-Lecar cells. Presented at The 17^th annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi student Research Symposium and The 60^th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA.

- Watrous, J. 2006. Group learning neural network education using SNNAP. FASEB J. 20(4): A13.

- Chan, G. and J. Watrous 2007. Preliminary investigation of the properties of a seven-cell neural network. Presented at The 18th annual Saint Joseph’s University Sigma Xi student Research Symposium. Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA.

- Watrous, J., Bortz, B., Cushing, D., Chan, G., Ford, J. and E. Podgorski 2008 Undergraduate Research in Neuroscience using SNNAP. FASEB J. 22: 765.3

- Bortz, B., Cushing, D. and J. Watrous. 2007. Pacemaker Neurons and their role in simple neural networks. Proceedings of The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2007. Dominican University of California. 905-907.