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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, etc. 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 studying veterinary medicine.

Deciding on 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 dedication to study science and pursue graduate work in the biomedical sciences.

Getting Degrees
For his undergraduate degree, 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 in the Department of Biological Sciences at Southern University and at Louisiana State University, both in Baton Rouge, LA. Robert attended these schools to take courses until he decided where and which area of biomedical science he wanted to pursue for his doctorate degree. It was while he was at Southern University that Robert was selected to participate in a new bridge-to-doctorate program between Southern University and the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTSHC) 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 toward his Ph.D. at UNTHSC. His interests and goals at that time were to conduct epidemiological research related to physiological studies of blood pressure regulation and hypertension. During the time he was working on his Ph.D., UNTHSC started a School of Public Health, which received full accreditation in 1999. So, after Dr. Carter was awarded a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the Department of Integrative Physiology in 2001, he decided to pursue a Masters in Public Health in epidemiology to compliment his PhD degree. He received his MPH in 2003.

Environmental Physiology Research
Dr. Carter’s current work involves designing and conducting research involving the fields of environmental physiology and clinical medicine as applicable to the laboratory and field study of human physiological responses attributable to heat, cold, and high terrestrial elevations. He is also assessing physiological responses to actual climatic extremes and assessing the physiological limitations on work performance and susceptibility to climatic injury. He also conducts epidemiological studies related to heat injury and death related to hot weather exposure. His current projects are 1) effects of hypohydration on cognitive and endurance performance in the cold; 2) effects of hypohydration on cerebral artery blood velocity, blood pressure, and autonomic regulatory control; and 3) trends in hot weather-related injury hospitalizations in the U.S. Army.

In addition to his military duties, Dr. Carter is also an adjunct 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 research seminar.

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.

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.

2. Cheuvront, S.N., R. Carter III, M.A. Kolka, B.S. Cadarette, and M.N. Sawka. Branched-chain amino acid effects on performance in the heat when hypohydrated.  J. Appl. Physiol. 97: 2004.

3. Cheuvront, S.N., R. Carter III, S.J. Montain, and M.N. Sawka.  Daily body mass variability and stability in active men undergoing exercise-heat stress. Int. J.  Sport Nutr. Exer. Metab., Oct 2004.

4. Wilson, T.E., R. Carter III, M. Cutler, J. Cui, M.L. Smith, and C.G. Crandall. Central command modulates skin blood flow and sweat rate responses during recovery from exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 96: 668-673, 2004.

5. Cheuvront, S.N., R. Carter III, and M.N. Sawka. Fluid balance and endurance exercise performance. Current Sports Med. Rpt. 2: 202-208, 2003. 

6. Cheuvront, S.N., and R. Carter III. Ginkgo and memory [letter]. JAMA Feb. 5: 246-249, 2003.

7. Carter III, R., T. Wilson, D.E. Watenpaugh, M.L. Smith, and C.G. Crandall. Effects of mode of exercise recovery on cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses. J. Appl. Physiol. 93: 1918-1924, 2002.

8. Carter III, R., D.E. Watenpaugh, and M.L. Smith. Genome and hormones: Gender differences in physiology selected contribution: gender differences in cardiovascular regulation during recovery from exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 91: 1902-1907, 2001.

9. Carter III, R., D.E. Watenpaugh, S.L. Wasmund, W.L. Wasmund, and M.L. Smith. Central command and muscle pump during exercise recovery in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 87: 1463-1469, 1999.