Margot LK Williams

Margot LK Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also affiliated with the Center for Precision Environmental Health. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying vertebrate development, particularly axial extension and morphogenesis in zebrafish. Williams holds a PhD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine (2013) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine.

Her lab investigates how patterning cues are translated into morphogenetic outcomes during embryogenesis, using synthetic embryology and live imaging approaches. Key projects include studying molecular 'translators' that coordinate embryonic axis extension, the origins of asymmetry in morphogenesis, and the molecular basis of a 'morphogenetic clock' that times developmental events. They also explore mechanisms driving invasive cell migration in both development and disease.

Williams has published extensively on topics like BMP/Nodal signaling dynamics, Vangl2-mediated neurulation, and the role of Gon4l in notochord development. Her work bridges developmental biology with synthetic systems to uncover fundamental principles of embryonic form and function.