Christopher Watts

Marilyn & Morgan Davies Dean, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences; Professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders | Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX, UNITED STATES

Christopher Watts researches laryngeal function in voice and swallowing, including voice, dysphagia, and neurological disorders.

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Biography

Christopher Watts is Dean of the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, TX. He also has a faculty appointment as tenured Professor in the Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders. In his role as Dean, he leads academic and research enterprises consisting of five units: The Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, the Department of Kinesiology, TCU Nursing, the School of Nurse Anesthesia, and the Department of Social Work.

His research, clinical, and teaching interests center on laryngeal function in voice and swallowing. He directs the Laryngeal Function Lab at TCU, which investigates laryngeal function using acoustic, aerodynamic, and electrophysiological instrumentation. He has published extensively in high impact peer-reviewed journals of my discipline, and present regularly at national and international symposiums. Since 2008 he has been an administrator in higher education serving in roles from Assistant Dean, Department Chair, and most recently Director of the Davies School at TCU.

Areas of Expertise (5)

Voice Disorders

Parkinson's

Neurological Disorders

Laryngeal Function

Dysphagia

Accomplishments (1)

Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar – HCNHS (professional)

2017

Education (2)

University of South Alabama: Ph.D., Speech Pathology 1998

University of South Alabama: B.S., Speech & Hearing Science 1994

Affiliations (2)

Voice Foundation
International Association of Logopedics & Phoniatrics

Links (1)

Faculty Profile - Texas Christian University

Media Appearances (2)

Chris Watts Highlighted for Parkinson’s Research Project

TCU News online

2022-04-21

WFAA recently featured Chris Watts, the Marilyn & Morgan Davies Dean of the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, and his ongoing research to fight Parkinson’s disease.

What Date (Or Event) Most Changed The Course Of History?

TCU Magazine online

2015-06-21

While so many events have altered the course of history, one seminal event in the recent past was the detonation of an atomic bomb over hiroshima (followed by a subsequent detonation over Nagasaki). This event facilitated the end to one war (World War II) and marked the beginning of a new war (the Cold War). By ushering in the age of nuclear armament, it altered the shape of geopolitics and international military alliances in a way that still reverberates to this very day.

Event Appearances (5)

Low-Tech Options for Aerodynamic Assessment of Voice Disorders

Clinical Practice. ASHA Convention Orlando, FL

Electropalatography Treatment for School-Aged Children With Residual /r/ Errors

ASHA Convention Orlando, FL

reatment Outcomes in a Private Practice Community Voice Clinic

Fall Voice Conference Dallas, TX

Perceptual Assessment of Speech Production in Speakers with Parkinson’s Disease

48th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice Philadelphia, PA

Problem Solving and Information Sharing for Department Chairs

Council of Academic Programs in COSD Annual Conference San Diego, CA

Articles (6)

Phonation Quotient Using Three Aerodynamic Instruments in the Disordered Voice

Journal of Voice

2020 The purpose of this study was to examine measures of phonation quotient (PQ) in two groups of persons with voice disorders using three different aerodynamic instruments representing low-tech and high-tech options.

A Case of Nervus Laryngeus Superior Paresis Treated With Novafon Local Vibration Voice Therapy

Journal of Voice

2019-12-07

The aim of the study is to present a case of chronic idiopathic superior laryngeal nerve paresis (SLNp) treated with a novel voice therapy approach called Novafon Local Vibration Voice Therapy (NLVVT). Outcome measurements including acoustics, aerodynamics, and self-perception of voice handicap were acquired before intervention (i.e., NLVVT) and after intervention (i.e.,follow-up).

Regulation of Transglottal Airflow in Speakers With Parkinson's Disease

Journal of Voice

2019-07-24

The purpose of this study was to investigate how speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) regulate transglottal airflow during phonation within and across breath groups, compared to healthy older adult (HOA) speakers. Aerodynamic recordings from 22 speakers with PD and 22 HOA speakers were compared. Transglottal airflow was measured from vocalic portions of consonant-vowel syllables and an all-voiced sentence using a pneumotachograph.

The effect of Parkinson disease tremor phenotype on cepstral peak prominence and transglottal airflow in vowels and speech

Journal of Voice

2019 The physiological manifestations of Parkinson disease are heterogeneous, as evidenced by disease subtypes. Dysphonia has been well documented as an early and progressively significant impairment associated with the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate how acoustic and aerodynamic measures of vocal function were affected by Parkinson tremor subtype (phenotype) in an effort to better understand the heterogeneity of voice impairment severity in Parkinson disease.

A Comparison of Indirect and Direct Methods for Estimating Transglottal Airflow Rate

Journal of Voice

2018 The purpose of this study was to compare indirect estimates of transglottal airflow rate using measures of phonation quotient with direct measures of mean airflow rate derived from a pneumotachograph.

Characteristics of a Treatment-seeking Population in a Private Practice Community Voice Clinic: An Epidemiologic Study

Journal of Voice

The purpose of this study was to evaluate epidemiologic characteristics of a treatment-seeking population referred to a private practice community voice clinic. Patient files representing evaluation referrals over a 28-month period were reviewed. Variables tabulated from records included disorder diagnosis, age, gender, perceptual voice quality ratings, and self-perceived voice handicap at initial evaluation.