Williams Lab
We are interested in understanding at a cellular level the neural control of energy balance and glucose metabolism, and elucidating how these events may participate in human disease.
Find us on Twitter @thewilliamslab
Read About us in the news
Some of our major ongoing thematic projects are listed here:
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and the Unfolded Protein Response
Linking neuronal activity with energy and glucose balance
Neuronal plasticity and synaptic reorganization in response to exercise
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and the Unfolded Protein Response
We are particularly interested in ER stress and UPR pathways within identified neurons and their potential role in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes. We have demonstrated key roles for these pathways in both body weight and glycemic control. Ongoing studies aim to identify neuronal circuits involved in these activities.
Linking neuronal activity with energy and glucose balance
We are also interested in elucidating cellular mechanisms involved in the neuronal activity-dependent regulation of metabolism through a combination of genetic, biochemical, and molecular approaches. An ongoing focus of these studies is to identify signaling pathways which transduce cellular activity and are required for multiple classes of agents shown to induce weight loss and improve glycemic control, including but not limited to serotonin, GLP-1, and leptin agonists.
Neuronal plasticity and synaptic reorganization in response to exercise
A common principle in exercise training revolves around training reversibility and supports the phrase “Use it or Lose it”. That is while regularly performed aerobic exercise results in significant improvements in metabolism, while cessation of exercise training results is a decline in various metabolic parameters. We have demonstrated that exercise results in rapid and sustained changes in neuronal activity, which can be associated with metabolic improvements. Ongoing studies in the lab focus on whether exercise-induced improvements in metabolism require remodeling within metabolically relevant target nuclei.
Williams Lab
Details about Our Research
The goal of our research is to identify novel neural circuits, neurotransmitters, and intracellular molecules in the brain that are critical for the proper control of feeding behavior, body weight, glucose balance, and cardiovascular health. We utilize mouse genetics, electrophysiology, and systems neuroscience approaches to accomplish these studies. We hope that results from my research will identify rational targets for developing potential therapeutic strategies for obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, and hypertension.
Current Lab Members
Linh Lieu
Research Assistant I & Lab manager
Linh Lieu
Research Assistant I and Lab manager
Linh joined the lab in 2017. She currently focuses on Western blot, colony maintenance, and lab management. Linh earned her degree in Neurobiology from University of Texas Austin.
Briana Wallace
Research Technician II
Briana Wallace
Research Technician II
Briana joined the lab in 2019. She currently focuses on Western blot and colony maintenance. Brianna earned her degree in Psychology from Seton Hall. In her free time, Brianna enjoys cooking and gardening.
Anita Kabahizi
Research Technician II
Anita Kabahizi
Research Technician II
Anita joined the lab in 2019. She currently focuses on Electrophysiology and colony maintenance. Anita earned her degree in Biology from University of Texas Arlington. In her free time, Anita enjoys reading and watching movies.
Bryan portillo
Research Technician II
Bryan Portillo
Research Technician II
Bryan joined the lab in January 2022. He currently focuses on electrophysiology, colony maintenance, and glucometabolic studies involving neural mechanisms of exercise and pharmacology. Bryan graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BS Exercise Science.
kyle Gross
Research Technician II
Yanbin Dong
Visiting Graduate Student
Yanbin joined the lab in 2019. He primarily focuses on electrophysiology. Yanbin earned his Masters from Science and Technology Innovation center in Guangzhou from the University of Chinese Medicine, Majoring in Internal Medicine of Chinese Medicine.
Jason ajwani
Research Technician II
Jason Ajwani
Research Technician II
Jason joined the lab in 2023. He currently focuses on electrophysiology, stereotaxic surgeries and glucometabolic assessments to investigate neural circuitry involving metabolic improvements in diabetes and obesity. Jason graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Neuroscience.
Eun-sang hwang, ph.d.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Eun-Sang Hwang, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Scholar
Eun-Sang Hwang joined the lab in 2021 as a postdoctoral research fellow. He earned his masters and doctoral degrees from Kyung Hee University in Korea. His doctoral work focused on identifying the mode of action of antiepileptic drug candidates using a multi-electrode array system. He primarily focuses now on using ex-vivo and in-vivo methods of measuring cellular activity to investigate neural circuits in response to metabolic challenges. He is an NRF postdoctoral fellowship program awardee.
Former Lab Members
Tianya Liu, Visiting Graduate student, Suzhou University
Zhuo Deng, Visitng Graduate student in Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Medicine in Xi’an, China
Yong Gao,M.S., Ph.D. Candidate, CAMS & PUMC in Beijing, China
Ting Yao, M.S., Ph.D. Candidate, Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Medicine in Xi’an, China
Jia Sun, M.D., Ph.D., Visiting Associate Professor, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Yiru Huang M.D., Ph.D. Candidate, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Min Yi M.D., Visiting Senior Researcher, Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Jianhong Cao, Visiting Graduate Student, PI-WEI Institute, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
Zhenyan He, M.D. Visiting Senior Researcher, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Sadia Afrin M.S., Research Assistant I
Available Positions
Available Student, Postdoctoral fellow, and Research Technician Positions
The Williams lab is seeking motivated, hard-working, and imaginative student, postdoc, and technician researchers to join our team.
The Williams lab is interested in understanding at a cellular level the neural control of energy balance and glucose metabolism, and elucidating how these events may participate in human disease. The goal of our research is to identify novel neural circuits, neurotransmitters, and intracellular molecules in the brain that are critical for the proper control of feeding behavior, body weight, glucose balance, and cardiovascular health. We hope that results from my research will identify rational targets for developing potential therapeutic strategies for obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, and hypertension.
Several graduate student and postdoctoral positions are available in the Williams lab. There are also Research Technician/Research Assistant/Research Associate positions available. Projects will take advantage of our one-of-a-kind collection of transgenic mouse models. These models allow us to characterize and manipulate gene expression and modulate cellular activity in specific cells and neurons of interest. Methods include mouse behavioral protocols, CRISPR-Cas9, transcriptomics, histology, stereotaxic brain surgery, chemogenetics, optogenetics, and in vivo fiber photometry, to name a few.
Candidates for the graduate student positions can come from any UT Southwestern Ph.D. Program, and most usually are from the Neuroscience Graduate Program or the Genetics Development and Disease Graduate Program. Students most often are also affiliated with the Molecular Metabolism and Metabolic Diseases (3MD) Track (chaired by Dr. Zigman). We would love to have you and your friends rotate through the lab!
Candidates for the postdoctoral positions must hold a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree.
All candidates should be self-motivated and are expected to contribute substantively to the design, implementation, interpretation and reporting of their investigational studies. Prior experience with genetically-engineered mouse models and related breeding strategies, mouse behavioral studies, stereotaxic brain surgery and other neuroanatomical techniques such as chemogenetics and optogenetics, histology, cell culture, and/or bioinformatics leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals is recommended but not required.
Interested individuals should send a CV, statement of interests, and a list of three references to Kevin W. Williams, Ph.D.
UT Southwestern Medical Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Dr. Williams named an Associate Editor of Diabetes
Dr. Kevin W. Williams has been named an Associate Editor
UTSW study finds potential strategy for fighting obesity
DALLAS – Nov. 2, 2021 – UT Southwestern scientists may
Dr. Williams receives the 2019 Timothy Bartness Award.
The Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) recently presented