Aislinn Williams, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Introduction
The Williams lab is interested in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which genetic risk factors contribute to psychiatric disease from a developmental perspective. Our current projects focus on voltage-gated calcium channel genes, which have been linked to the risk of developing bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and autism. We use induced pluripotent stem cells and transgenic mouse models to study how calcium channel gene SNPs alter neuronal development, neural circuit function, and affective behavior. We employ a wide range of approaches, including molecular biology, live cell imaging, neuropathology, and animal behavioral assessments, to try to unravel the developmental pathways involved in neuropsychiatric disease, in the hope of identifying novel treatment targets.
Current Positions
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry
- Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Education
- BA in Neuroscience, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
- PhD in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- MD, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
- Research Track in Adult Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Postdoctoral Research in Psychiatry in Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Graduate Program Affiliations
Center, Program and Institute Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms of genetic risk in bipolar disorder
- Cell and animal models of psychiatric disease
- Calcium signaling in neurodevelopmental disorders
Licenses & Certifications
- Board Certified in General Psychiatry, ABPN
Selected Publications
- Mirza, S., Lima, C. N. C., Favero-Campbell, A. D., Rubinstein, A., Topolski, N., Cabrera-Mendoza, B., Kovacs, E. H. C., Blumberg, H. P., Gringer Richards, J., Williams, A. J., et al. (2024) Blood epigenome-wide association studies of suicide attempt in adults with bipolar disorder. Translational Psychiatry 14. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02760-y
- Harmata GIS, Barsotti EJ, Casten LG, Fiedorowicz JG, Williams A, Shaffer JJ, Richards JG, Sathyaputri L, Schmitz SL, Christensen GE et al. (2023) Cerebellar morphological differences and associations with extrinsic factors in bipolar disorder type I. Journal of Affective Disorders 340 269-279. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.018
- Saleem A, Harmata G, Jain S, Voss MW, Fiedorowicz JG, Williams AJ, Shaffer JJ, Richards JG, Barsotti EJ, Sathyaputri L et al. (2023) Functional connectivity of the cerebellar vermis in bipolar disorder and associations with mood. Frontiers in Psychiatry 14. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1147540
- Lima CNC, Emese H.C. Kovács, Mirza S, Del Favero-Campbell A, Diaz AP, João Luciano de Quevedo, Benney MR Argue, Richards JG, Williams A, Wemmie JA et al. (2023) Association between the epigenetic lifespan predictor GrimAge and history of suicide attempt in bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 48. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01557-9
- Madencioglu, D.A., Kruth, K., Shin, M., Andreasen, N., Wassink, T., Williams, A. (2022) Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell line from a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia carrying a 16p11.2 deletion. Stem Cell Research 59. DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2021.102636
- Magnotta, V.A., Xu, J., Fiedorowicz, J.G., Williams, A., Shaffer, J., Christensen, G., Long, J.D., Taylor, E., Sathyaputri, L., Richards, J.G. et al. (2022) Metabolic abnormalities in the basal ganglia and cerebellum in bipolar disorder: A multi-modal MR study. Journal of Affective Disorders 301 390-399. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.01.052
- Madencioglu, D. A., Kruth K. A., Wassink T. H., Magnotta, V., Wemmie J. A., Williams A. J. (2022) Modeling Human Cerebellar Development In Vitro in 2D Structure. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 187. DOI: 10.3791/64462
- Kruth, K. A., Grisolano, T. M., Ahern, C. A. & Williams, A. J. (2020). SCN2A channelopathies in the autism spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders: a role for pluripotent stem cells?. Molecular Autism 11 (1). DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00330-9.
- Williams, A., McInnis, M.G. (2019) Sex differences in the incidence of antidepressant-induced mania (AIM) in bipolar disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 44 224-225. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0216-4
- Williams, A. & McInnis, M. G. (null). Sex differences in the incidence of antidepressant-induced mania (AIM) in bipolar disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0216-4.