Richard L. Watson, MD, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow Clinical Instructor, UCLA Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Staff Physician, VA GLAHS Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
About
Dr. Richard Watson is a pulmonary and critical care physician with a joint appointment at UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. He is currently completing his postdoctoral studies in the Bensinger Lab. Originally from metro Detroit, Richard completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan before going to Northwestern University for a combined MD/PhD program. Following medical school, he completed an internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai, followed by a pulmonary/critical care fellowship at UCLA. Richard joined the Bensinger Lab in March 2020, partway through his fellowship training. His project focuses on understanding the role of lipid immunometabolism in pulmonary disease. Initial studies are aimed at understanding specifically the role of fatty acid metabolism and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) function in pulmonary fibrosis, mirroring his clinical focus. Outside of the lab, Richard enjoys spending time with his wife (a fellow scientist and current professor at UC Irvine), dog, two cats, and friends. Between science and medicine, Richard tries to find time to explore LA, go to concerts/music festivals, and take advantage of the continuous perfect weather by running, golfing, surfing, and mountain biking.