Professor Watson created and directed the Engineering Imaging Laboratory at Texas A&M University in 1988, and later Rocky Mountain Magnetic Resonance at Colorado State University, which he joined as Department Head in 2001.

Dr. Watson pioneered in the development and application of SPI-based methods to characterize a variety of physical and biological systems with magnetic resonance imaging. He also developed extensive methods to determine mathematical models and properties important for describing and predicting flow within permeable media, including petroleum reservoirs and unconventional resources, such as shales.