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Who is Robert Carter III?
Doing Research in the Military
Robert Carter III was born in Lake Charles, LA. He
first expressed an interest in science around the age of 8. He was
fascinated with how things functioned and how the body worked. He was very
curious about how animals communicated with humans, feelings of animals, and
other things like that. Although at that point he didn’t have a term or name
to call it, he knows now it was physiology! His first interest was in the
study of veterinary medicine.
Figuring Out a Career
Robert worked a summer with Dr. Dennis French, from
Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. French
practiced large animal medicine, in addition to conducting experimental
studies related to supplemental minerals for growing Holstein heifers and
animal parasitology. It was at this time that Robert realized his strong
interest in experimental research and investigation. Dr. French influenced
Robert’s desire to study science in college and then go on to do graduate
work and get a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences.
Getting All Those Degrees
When it came time to choose a college, Robert decided
to attend Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA, mainly because
he was offered an academic scholarship, as well as a track scholarship. He
graduated with majors in biology and chemistry in 1995. He went on to take
graduate-level courses at Southern University and Louisiana State
University, both in Baton Rouge, LA. Robert took classes at both schools
until he could decide what college to go to and which area of biomedical
science he wanted to study for his doctorate degree. It was while he was at
Southern University that Robert was selected to be in a new
bridge-to-doctorate program between Southern University and the University
of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, TX. After
completing the bridge program and finishing his Master’s degree in biology
at Southern University in 1997, Robert moved to Texas and began working on
his Ph.D. at UNTHSC. His interests and goals at that time were to conduct
research on diseases (called epidemiological research) related to studies of
blood pressure regulation and high blood pressure (or hypertension). During
the time he was working on his Ph.D., UNTHSC started a School of Public
Health. So, after Dr. Carter was awarded his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in
2001, he decided to pursue a Masters in Public Health in epidemiology to
compliment his PhD degree. He received his MPH in 2003.
Joining the Army
During the time he was in graduate school, Robert
decided to join the US Army Reserves because of his patriotism and his
interest in working as a military scientist after graduate school. He was
commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army Reserves. After
receiving his Ph.D. degree and completing his MPH, Dr. Carter was assigned
to the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) in
Natick, MA, as a researcher. He arrived at USARIEM in January 2002 for a
three-year initial assignment. Most Ph.D. scientists in the military use
that first assignment as a way to get more research training, just like any
other new Ph.D. However, there are other responsibilities that come with
being an officer in the military, such as staff officer duties, equal
opportunity officer duties, having to wear a military uniform, continuing
military education, etc.
Hot and Cold Research
Dr. Carter’s current research involves the fields of
environmental physiology and clinical medicine as applied both to the
laboratory and to field studies. He looks at human physiological responses
to heat and cold and high elevations. Specifically, he tries to determine
what the physiological limitations are for people working in those extreme
climates, such as on their work performance and susceptibility to climatic
injury. He also conducts epidemiological studies related to heat injury and
death due tohot weather exposure. He currently has three projects going: 1)
effects of hypohydration (low or under-hydration) on brain activity and
endurance performance in the cold; 2) effects of hypohydration on blood
flow, blood pressure, and control mechanisms in the arteries that feed the
brain; and 3) trends in hot weather-related injury hospitalizations in the
U.S. Army.
In addition to his military duties, Dr. Carter is also
a part-time professor of biology at his former school, Southern University.
He travels there at least one week each semester to lecture on human anatomy
and to give a talk on his research.
Just this year, Dr. Carter moved from Massachusetts to continue his work
at the Centre de Recherche du Service de Sante des Armees in LaTronche,
France.
Spare Time
In his free time, Dr. Carter is a member of the Greater
Boston Track Club and competes in 200- and 400-meter sprint events.
He also serves as a volunteer for Big Brothers of
Massachusetts Bay. He is involved with various community activities through
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., which is involved in voting campaigns and
educating young men about teenage pregnancy.
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