Justin Hewlett, MD, is an expert interstitial lung disease (ILD) clinician and the director of the Rare Lung Disease Clinic. He treats ILD patients at Vanderbilt and is involved in clinical trials.
He completed his baccalaureate degree, summa cum laude, in both microbiology and chemistry from the University of Florida and went on to graduate from medical school at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Hewlett did his residency at Vanderbilt University, serving as Chief Resident. In 2016, he entered Vanderbilt's fellowship program in pulmonary and critical care medicine and engaged in both basic and clinical research. He spent a year working directly with Dr. James Loyd on the evaluation and management of patients with interstitial lung disease, which sparked a personal interest in the care of these patients.
Since 2017, Dr. Hewlett has been working with Dr. Jonathan Kropski and others on multiple projects pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, he has worked with Drs. Fabien Maldonado and Robert Lentz to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial cryobiopsy in comparison with surgical lung biopsy. He has a strong interest in rare lung diseases and diagnostic evaluation of diffuse parenchymal lung disease.
Dr. Hewlett is known for his energy, concern for his patients' education regarding their condition, and his focus on the accuracy and efficiency of the diagnostic process. He also volunteers whenever possible for projects and educational opportunities that might further clinical effectiveness. Recognized as an outstanding teacher, he was awarded the Roger Des Prez Award for Teaching Excellence in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in 2018.