Calvin B. Williams

Calvin B. Williams, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He holds multiple leadership roles, including Associate Dean of Research, Associate Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, Chief Scientific Officer of Children's Wisconsin Research Institute, and Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology. He earned his MD and PhD in Biology and Medicine from the University of California, Irvine (1991). His research focuses on T cell development, regulatory T cell (Treg) biology, and mucosal tolerance mechanisms. His lab investigates how Treg cells maintain immune tolerance, with particular emphasis on Foxp3+ Treg cells and induced Treg (iTreg) cells in gastrointestinal tolerance. Recent work explores the iTreg-Th17 axis, Treg cell stability, and IL-10's role in maintaining tolerance.

Dr. Williams' research has contributed extensively to understanding T cell receptor antagonism in tolerance, iTreg cell formation, and ex-iTreg cell fate. His lab's current projects include studying the iTreg niche, ex-iTreg cell transformation, and IL-10's dual roles in tolerance. He has published widely in immunology, with studies on autoimmune diseases like juvenile idiopathic arthritis, platelet gene therapy for tolerance induction, and Treg cell development pathways. His leadership spans academic research administration, program direction, and clinical pediatric rheumatology.