Jessica Williams, PhD
Assistant Staff
Assistant Professor, Molecular Medicine, CCLCM-CWRU
Email: [email protected]
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Research
The Jessica Williams lab studies the interplay between the immune and central nervous systems during multiple sclerosis.
Biography
Jessica Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute (LRI). She also holds faculty appointments at Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, and Cleveland State University. She serves as the Cleveland Clinic liaison for Kent State University in addition to representing the Cleveland Clinic on the Executive Council for the Brain Health Institute and the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Executive Committee. Dr. Williams is also an appointed advisor to LRI’s Research and Education Training Center, as she is passionate about training the next generation of scientists. This is evidenced by her receipt of the Lerner Research Institute’s 2022 Excellence in Education Award and the 2023 Mentor of the Year Award.
Dr. Williams’ research focuses on the regional responses of central nervous system glia to immune stimuli during neuroinflammation, particularly in multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease which Dr. Williams has been studying her entire career. Her work has highlighted the impact of regional T cell-astrocyte crosstalk during autoimmune neuroinflammation. A recent focus of her lab includes the protective functions of astrocytes mediated by cytokines that are traditionally considered deleterious during MS pathogenesis, creating a new avenue for exploring potential therapies for MS patients. The Williams Lab employs several murine models of MS, primary human and murine brain and spinal cord astrocyte and peripheral immune compartment analyses combined with MS patient lesion assessment.
Dr. Williams trained at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, to earn an M.S. and then at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, where she received her Ph.D. in immunology under the advice of Dr. Caroline Whitacre. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, specializing in neuroimmunology and autoimmunity in the laboratory of Dr. Robyn Klein.
Dr. Williams has received funding from the NIH, the National MS Society, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Brain Health Research Institute, and the Neurological and Vision Impact Area. She also regularly participates on study sections for the NIH, National MS Society, and the Department of Defense as part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
Education & Professional Highlights
Appointed
2017
Education and Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Neuroimmunology
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
2017
Graduate School
Ph.D. - Immunology
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
2011
Graduate School
M.S. – Physiology
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
2006
Undergraduate
B.S. – Biology/Chemistry
Lindenwood University
St. Charles, MO
2004
Research
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) perpetuated by autoreactive immune cells that destroy myelin. Despite many advances in the treatment of MS, there are currently no approved therapies aimed at protecting or restoring the CNS to promote patient recovery. Many current treatments for MS impair the immune response; however, recent evidence suggests that immune molecules called cytokines may influence the development of new myelin in the context of MS. We aim to further understand the interplay between the immune and central nervous systems during MS in order to uncover novel therapeutic options for MS patients.
More specifically, we are interested in how cytokines mediate neuroimmune crosstalk to facilitate CNS repair. Cytokines and their receptors are expressed in and around MS lesions by immune cells and glia, critical CNS cells that maintain homeostasis, support blood-brain barrier function, and provide neuronal support. However, we know relatively little about how these functions change in response to inflammation. Further, we have shown that glia, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and their progenitors, exhibit heterogeneity between regions of the CNS, as well as differential responses to cytokines. Thus, a second focus of the Williams Lab is to determine how regionally distinct populations of glia communicate with immune cells to mediate autoimmune processes during MS pathogenesis and recovery.
Our Team
Selected Publications
Tinkey RA, Smith BC, Habean ML, Williams JL. BATF2 is a regulator of interferon-γ signaling in astrocytes during neuroinflammation. bioRxiv. 2024 Jul 16;. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.10.602938. PubMed PMID: 39071355; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11275732.
Habean ML, Kaiser KE, Williams JL. Orchestrating Stress Responses in Multiple Sclerosis: A Role for Astrocytic IFNγ Signaling. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jul 9;25(14). doi: 10.3390/ijms25147524. Review. PubMed PMID: 39062765; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11276796.
Shaw BC, Williams JL. A novel PSMB8 isoform associated with multiple sclerosis lesions induces P-body formation. Front Cell Neurosci. 2024;18:1379261. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1379261. eCollection 2024. PubMed PMID: 38812791; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11133558.
Shaw BC, Anders VR, Tinkey RA, Habean ML, Brock OD, Frostino BJ, Williams JL. Immunity impacts cognitive deficits across neurological disorders. J Neurochem. 2023 Oct 29;. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15999. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 37899543; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11056485.
Smith BC, Tinkey RA, Brock OD, Mariam A, Habean ML, Dutta R, Williams JL. Astrocyte interferon-gamma signaling dampens inflammation during chronic central nervous system autoimmunity via PD-L1. J Neuroinflammation. 2023 Oct 12;20(1):234. doi: 10.1186/s12974-023-02917-4. PubMed PMID: 37828609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10568873.
Lukens JR, Williams JL. An introduction to neuroimmunology. Immunol Rev. 2022 Oct;311(1):5-8. doi: 10.1111/imr.13133. Epub 2022 Aug 30. PubMed PMID: 36039857; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9489657.
Smith BC, Tinkey RA, Shaw BC, Williams JL. Targetability of the neurovascular unit in inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Immunol Rev. 2022 Oct;311(1):39-49. doi: 10.1111/imr.13121. Epub 2022 Jul 31. Review. PubMed PMID: 35909222; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9489669.
Manivasagam S, Williams JL, Vollmer LL, Bollman B, Bartleson JM, Ai S, Wu GF, Klein RS. Targeting IFN-λ Signaling Promotes Recovery from Central Nervous System Autoimmunity. J Immunol. 2022 Mar 15;208(6):1341-1351. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2101041. Epub 2022 Feb 18. PubMed PMID: 35181638; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9012116.
Psenicka MW, Smith BC, Tinkey RA, Williams JL. (2021) Connecting Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration in Multiple Sclerosis: Are Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells a Nexus of Disease? Front Cell Neurosci. 2021 Jun 21;15:654284. PMID: 34234647; PMCID: PMC8255483
Sinyuk M, Williams JL. (2020) Dissection and Isolation of Murine Glia from Multiple Central Nervous System Regions. J Vis Exp. 2020 Jun 4;(160). PMID: 32568252
Smith BC, Sinyuk M, Jenkins JE 3rd, Psenicka MW, Williams JL (2020). The Impact of Regional Astrocyte Interferon-γ Signaling During Chronic Autoimmunity: A Novel Role for the Immunoproteasome. J Neuroinflammation 17(1):184. PMID: 32532298; PMCID: PMC7291495
Williams JL, Manivasagam S, Smith BC, Sim J, Vollmer LL, Daniels BP, Russell JH, Klein RS. (2020) Astrocyte-T cell crosstalk regulates region-specific neuroinflammation. Glia 68(7):1361-137. PMID: 31961459
Daniels BP, Jujjavarapu H, Durrant DM, Williams JL, Green RR, White JP, Lazear HM, Gale M Jr, Diamond MS, Klein RS. (2017) Regional astrocyte IFN signaling restricts pathogenesis during neurotropic viral infection. J Clin Invest 127(3):843-856. PMID: 28134626; PMCID: PMC5330728
Williams JL, Holman DW, Klein RS. (2014) Chemokines in the balance: maintenance of homeostasis and protection at CNS barriers. Front Cell Neurosci 8:154. PMID: 24920943; PMCID: PMC4036130
Williams JL, Patel JR, Daniels BP, Klein RS. (2014) Targeting CXCR7/ACKR3 as a therapeutic strategy to promote remyelination in the adult central nervous system. J Exp Med 211(5):791-9. PMID: 24733828; PMCID: PMC4010893
Durrant DM, Williams JL, Daniels BP, Klein RS. (2014) Chemokines Referee Inflammation within the Central Nervous System during Infection and Disease. Adv Med 2014:806741. PMID: 26556427; PMCID: PMC4590974
Cox GM, Kithcart AP, Pitt D, Guan Z, Alexander J, Williams JL, Shawler T, Dagia NM, Popovich PG, Satoskar AR, Whitacre CC. (2013) Macrophage migration inhibitory factor potentiates autoimmune-mediated neuroinflammation.J Immunol 191(3):1043-54. PMID: 23797673
Williams JL, Gatson NN, Smith KM, Almad A, McTigue DM, Whitacre CC. (2013) Serum exosomes in pregnancy-associated immune modulation and neuroprotection during CNS autoimmunity. Clin Immunol 149(2):236-43. PMID: 23706172; PMCID: PMC3778091
Patel JR, Williams JL, Muccigrosso MM, Liu L, Sun T, Rubin JB, Klein RS. (2012) Astrocyte TNFR2 is required for CXCL12-mediated regulation of oligodendrocyte progenitor proliferation and differentiation within the adult CNS. Acta Neuropathol 124(6):847-60. PMID: 22933014; PMCID: PMC3508279
Smith KM, Guerau-de-Arellano M, Costinean S, Williams JL, Bottoni A, Mavrikis Cox G, Satoskar AR, Croce CM, Racke MK, Lovett-Racke AE, Whitacre CC. (2012) miR-29ab1 deficiency identifies a negative feedback loop controlling Th1 bias that is dysregulated in multiple sclerosis. J Immunol 189(4):1567-76. PMID: 22772450; PMCID: PMC3411895
Williams JL, Richert BT, Marchant-Forde JN, Eicher SD. (2012) Behavioral changes in neonatal swine after an 8-hour rest during prolonged transportation. J Anim Sci 90(9):3213-9. PMID: 22966080
Williams JL, Kithcart AP, Smith KM, Shawler T, Cox GM, Whitacre CC. (2011) Memory cells specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) govern the transfer of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J Neuroimmunol 234(1-2):84-92. PMID: 21463904; PMCID: PMC3690522
Gatson NN, Williams JL, Powell ND, McClain MA, Hennon TR, Robbins PD, Whitacre CC. (2011) Induction of pregnancy during established EAE halts progression of CNS autoimmune injury via pregnancy-specific serum factors. J Neuroimmunol 230(1-2):105-13. PMID: 20950868; PMCID: PMC3021646
Williams JL, Minton JE, Patterson JA, Marchant Forde J, Eicher SD. (2008) Lairage during transport of eighteen-kilogram pigs has an impact on innate immunity and commensal bacteria diversity in the intestines. J Anim Sci 86(5):1232-44. PMID: 18245499
Careers
Research News
New PhD graduate, Dr. Brandon Smith, and his mentor, Dr. Jessica Williams, discuss mentorship, creative problem-solving and communication in career development.
The beneficial interactions between the immune and central nervous systems could hold the key to new treatments for MS.