A professor of veterinary reproduction, Watson earned a PHD from the University of Bristol and a doctorate in science from the University of Edinburgh. 

She was the Jeanne Marchig Professorial Fellow of International Animal Welfare and served as a consultant to international veterinary programs and foundations, including City University in Hong Kong and the AAVMC-World Bank Taskforce to assess veterinary education in developing countries around the world.

At Edinburgh, Watson initiated a $200 million development project to create the Easter Bush Campus, which represents the highest concentration of animal scientists and veterinarians in Europe. 

She also developed the first strategic relationship between a pharmaceutical company (Pfizer Animal Health) and a veterinary school. In addition, she is credited with obtaining necessary funding for the world’s first International Centre in Animal Welfare Education.