Matthew Williams

Matthew Williams, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Utah. He is affiliated with the Huntsman Cancer Institute's Cell Response and Regulation program. His educational background includes a B.S. from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from Emory University.

Dr. Williams' research focuses on T cell biology in the context of infections and cancer. Key areas include:

• Mechanisms of T cell differentiation and immunologic memory formation
• Tumor-induced suppression of T cell function and strategies to overcome it
• Role of intrinsic (T-cell receptor) and extrinsic (inflammatory) signals in immune responses
• Development of improved immunotherapies for durable cancer remission

His recent publications (2020-2025) predominantly explore tumor immunology, T cell regulation, and therapeutic interventions. Major themes include immune checkpoint resistance mechanisms, ARF6-dependent signaling pathways, transcriptional control of memory T cells (OCA-B/Pou2af1), and innovative uses of oncolytic viruses. The work bridges basic immunology with translational applications.

Dr. Williams leads an active research laboratory investigating T cell behavior in pathological contexts. The team studies how tumors evade immune destruction and develops approaches to enhance anti-tumor immunity through molecular interventions targeting immunosuppressive pathways.