Visiting Professor of Rheumatology
School of Science, Technology and Health
Dr Richard Watts is a consultant rheumatologist at the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, were he is also the R&D director. He qualified from Oxford University Medical School in 1982, and in 1992 was awarded his DM. His specialist training was at the Middlesex Hospital, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He was appointed to Ipswich Hospital in 1994 and as clinical senior lecturer at the Norwich Medical School in 2005. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Rheumatology between 2002 and 2008. He is chair of the Heberden Committee of the British Society of Rheumatology and one of its Trustees since 2009.
He was awarded his DM in 1992 for work on the generation of human monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies. His current academic interests are the epidemiology, aetiopathogenesis and treatment of autoimmune rheumatic disease, especially the vasculitides and he has published extensively in this field. He is a principal investigator for studies in the classification and diagnosis of autoimmune disease, the importance of patient education in the management of long term rheumatic disease and the organisation of services for people with rheumatoid arthritis. His main clinical interest at Ipswich Hospital is the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases
He is Research and Development Director at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and a member of the executive group of the Norfolk and Suffolk Comprehensive Local Research Network. Between 2006 and 2010 he was the Chair of the Board of the CLRN.