Biography

Dr Richard Hewitt qualified with distinctions at Imperial College London in 2011 and achieved first-class honours in an intercalated BSc in respiratory sciences. He undertook postgraduate general medical training in London, attaining MRCP(UK) in 2014. He trained in respiratory medicine at St Mary’s Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital.

Dr Hewitt gained extensive research experience through NIHR academic clinical fellowship and clinical lectureship awards and holds a postgraduate certificate in genomics medicine. In 2017 he was awarded an Imperial College Clinician-Investigator Scholarship and went on to complete a PhD in the National Heart and Lung Institute. During his doctoral research he studied the role of interactions between airway epithelial cells and the microenvironment in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Dr Hewitt is now an adjunct senior lecturer at King’s College London where he is investigating airway immune changes in early fibrosing lung disease, supported by the Sir Robert Finch Research Fellowship.

He provides clinical and educational supervision to respiratory specialist trainees and internal medicine trainees.

Expertise

Dr Hewitt is a consultant in respiratory medicine with subspecialty expertise in interstitial lung diseases including:

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• Connective tissue disease - associated ILD
• Sarcoidosis

He is also experienced in managing general respiratory conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory infections and bronchiectasis.

He regularly performs and supervises bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) as part of the diagnostic work-up for interstitial lung disease.  

Awards

• Royal Society of Medicine Young Respiratory Investigator Prize (2009)
• North West Thames Foundation School Clinical Excellence Merit (2013)
• Health Education North West London Excellence in Leadership Award (2013)
• Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Best Clinical Lesson Spoken Presentation (2013)
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Fellowship (2015)
• American Thoracic Society International Trainee Scholarship Award (2016)
• Imperial College Clinician-Investigator Scholarship (2017)
• Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis American Thoracic Society Conference Attendance Award (2020)
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Lectureship (2022)

Research interests

Dr Hewitt is developing a research programme investigating airway immune changes in early fibrosing lung disease including those with interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) detected through computed tomography (CT) screening programmes. Through research into early disease mechanisms, he is working towards developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to treat pulmonary fibrosis.

Publications

Dr Hewitt has published basic, translational and clinical research articles in the field of pulmonary fibrosis and other areas of respiratory medicine. He has also co-authored a book chapter on the diagnosis and management of ILD. See full list of Dr Hewitt’s publications.

Private patient referral

If you would like to make an appointment with this specialist for private care, contact the RB&HH Specialist care team