Dr Benjamin Hewitt BMedSc, PhD

Ben Hewitt

Department of Biomedical Sciences
Research Fellow

Contact details

Address
Robert Aitken Institute for Clinical Research
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Ben is a Research Fellow within the Neuro-Ocular Inflammation and Matrix Research Group, with interests in fluid dynamics in haemorrhagic stroke and glaucoma.

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Qualifications

  • PhD in Dentistry (Cell and molecular biology), University of Birmingham, 2024
  • BMedSc Biomedical Materials Science (Hons), University of Birmingham, 2019

Biography

Ben is a research fellow working in the neuro-ocular inflammation and matrix research group within the Department of Biomedical Sciences. His work focuses on fluid dynamics and extracellular matrix (ECM) changes in the brain and the eye, with research interests in haemorrhagic stroke and glaucoma.

He has a particular interest in developing organotypic models of tissues and disease processes, using organotypic models of haemorrhagic stroke to trial new treatments to reduce advanced brain ageing and early death, commonly seen in patients suffering from subarachnoid haemorrhage. He is also an experienced molecular biologist, with interests in the transcriptional regulation of fibrosis and ECM dysfunction.

He regularly trains students in a range of experimental techniques, including in vitro and ex vivo skills. He also has experience in directly supervising PhD / MRes students, BMedSc biomedical materials science and MSci / BSc biomedical science research projects. 

Teaching

  • BSc Biomedical Sciences: Fundamentals of Neuroscience
  • BmedSc Biomedical Materials Science

Research

  • Haemorrhagic stroke 
  • CSF dynamics
  • Organotypic culture 
  • Tissue equivalents 
  • Genetic modification and engineering
  • Nuclear hormone receptor signalling

Publications

Highlight publications

Hewitt, BJ, Ali, M, Hubbard, J, Hill, LJ & Botfield, H 2024 'The double-edged sword of transforming growth factor β 1: a systematic review of pre-clinical stroke models' Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687466/v1

Hewitt, BJ, Batt, J, Shelton, R, Cooper, P, Landini, G, Lucas, R, Wiench, M & Milward, M 2022, 'A 3D printed device for in vitro generation of stratified epithelia at the air-liquid interface', Tissue Engineering Part C Methods, vol. 28, no. 11, pp. 599-609. https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.TEC.2022.0130

Recent publications

Preprint

Pelepenko, LE, Hewitt, B, Janini, ACP, Moraes, BF, Pereira, JS, Leutz, ACN & Marciano, MA 2023 'Protocol for subcutaneous implantation of polyethylene tubes containing endodontic reparative materials in 12-week-old Wistar rats' Protocol Exchange. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.pex-2482/v1

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