R. Wes Shepherd, MD
Dr. R. Wes Shepherd is a pulmonary disease and critical care medicine specialist at VCU Health and its associated Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia. He holds the titles of Professor of Interventional Pulmonology, Associate Professor of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, and has an appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery. In these roles, he provides clinical care as part of several teams, including the Medical Respiratory ICU, Interventional Pulmonology procedure consult service, the general Pulmonary Clinic, and as part of the multidisciplinary Chest Tumor Clinic in Massey Cancer Center, where he cares for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Dr. Shepherd is dedicated to interdisciplinary care and believes that ongoing communication with other physicians facilitates patients’ access to services as well as doctors’ ability to remain current on the status of those they are treating.
Education and Career
Dr. Shepherd earned his medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then went on to complete an internship, residency, and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical care Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. He left VCU to complete a fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology at the Lahey Clinic, then returned as the first fellowship-trained interventional pulmonologist in the state.
In the years since he completed his fellowship, Dr. Shepherd developed the health system’s Interventional Pulmonology Program into the most comprehensive in Virginia, recruiting other distinguished faculty, developing a research program, and creating an Interventional Pulmonology fellowship.
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Shepherd is active in numerous professional societies and organizations, including his service on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and on the national steering committee for the Interventional and Chest Diagnostic Procedure Network of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).
Honors
Dr. Shepherd has distinguished himself through his efforts to advance interventional pulmonology as well as his contributions to the education of future pulmonologists. Among his other awards, he is the recipient of the Distinguished CHEST Educator award given by the American College of Chest Physicians.
Research
Dr. Shepherd’s research interests include lung cancer, bronchoscopy education, tracheal stenosis, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, endobronchial ultrasound, and other advanced therapeutic bronchoscopy procedures. He has several active Institutional Review Board projects underway and has published and co-authored numerous articles and abstracts.
Some of his recent works include:
- Use of Mitomycin-C in Laryngotracheal Stenosis: A Focused Clinical Review.Christopher Di Felice, Michael S Machuzak, Ray W Shepherd> ;Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology. 2023 Jul 1
- The Utility of EBUS-Guided Transbronchial Forceps Biopsy With or Without an Electrocautery Knife for the Diagnosis of Mediastinal and Hilar Lymphadenopathy. Vikas Pathak, Ray W Shepherd> ;Cureus. 2023 Jun 1
- Endotracheal Xanthoma Disseminatum. Jessica McLaughlin, Dana Martin, Javeryah Safi, Ray W Shepherd, Samira Shojaee> ;American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2022 Oct 1
