William J Muller

William J Muller, MD, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and serves as Scientific Director of the Office of Clinical and Community Trials at the Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute. He practices at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and maintains affiliations with multiple research centers including the Center for Human Immunobiology, Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, and the Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics.

Dr. Muller's educational background includes:

• BS from University of Notre Dame (1985)
• PhD from University of Pennsylvania (1991)
• MD from Emory University (2001)
• Pediatrics Residency at University of Colorado Health Science Center (2004)
• Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Fellowship at University of Washington School of Medicine (2007)

Board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Muller's primary clinical interest focuses on infections in immunocompromised patients, including stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients. His research spans vaccine development, anti-infective therapies, and diagnostics for pediatric populations. A significant portion of his work investigates the pathogenesis of viral encephalitis, particularly examining host-pathogen interactions in neurologic disease due to herpes simplex virus in newborns. His laboratory has made important discoveries regarding age-dependent differences in cellular mechanisms for protection from herpes simplex virus encephalitis, revealing how autophagy functions differently in newborns versus adults.

Dr. Muller's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on pharmacokinetic modeling of medications in pediatric patients, particularly those with obesity, and infections in transplant recipients. His work bridges clinical practice with translational research, often involving multi-center clinical trials. He has contributed significantly to understanding how medications behave differently in children with obesity compared to those with typical weight, which has important implications for dosing in these populations.

His notable awards and honors include:

• Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2021)
• Faculty Award for Excellence in Leadership at the Associate Professor level, Department of Pediatrics (2020)
• Fellow of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (2016)
• Elected Member of the Society for Pediatric Research (2013)
• Award in Basic Science, Seventh Annual Lewis Landsberg Research Day (2011)

Dr. Muller serves in multiple leadership roles including as a member of the Transplant Infectious Diseases Committee of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (2018-present), the Pediatric Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation (2011-present), and the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation (2010-present). He was also a member of the Expert Panel for Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19 (2020-2023), contributing his expertise during the pandemic. His research has been supported by numerous grants, including funding from the National Institutes of Health.

His laboratory research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of viral encephalitis in newborns, particularly how herpes simplex virus targets host cell proteins to cause severe disease. Dr. Muller's team has discovered age-related differences in the cellular protective mechanisms against viral encephalitis, with important clinical implications for potential treatments that might work in adults but could be harmful to newborns.