Philip Williams

Philip Williams, PhD, serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His research program aims to develop novel therapeutic strategies for CNS injury and neurodegenerative diseases, utilizing the visual system as a model due to its accessibility and well-defined neural circuitry.

Dr. Williams' educational background includes:

• PhD in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (2009)
• BS in Interdisciplinary Studies: Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2000)

His postdoctoral training encompassed a fellowship at the Technical University of Munich (2010-2014) under Prof. Thomas Misgeld and an Instructorship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2014-2018) with Prof. Zhigang He. He completed his graduate studies at Washington University under Prof. Rachel Wong (2004-2010).

The Williams Lab investigates the mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration and regeneration following optic nerve injury. A major focus is understanding why certain RGC subtypes are more resilient to injury than others, with the goal of harnessing these differences for neuroprotective therapies. The lab employs in vivo multiphoton microscopy to monitor RGC responses in real-time and uses viral vectors for targeted genetic manipulations.

Current research explores the retinal microenvironment's response to axon injury and tests pharmacological interventions to promote RGC survival and axon regeneration. The lab's work has implications for treating conditions such as glaucoma and traumatic optic neuropathy.

Dr. Williams leads the Williams Lab, which is equipped with state-of-the-art imaging and molecular tools to advance the understanding of neural repair in the visual system.