I am excited to announce the Williams Lab is moving to
@EmoryMedicine
in January 2024! I'll be starting as an Associate Professor in
@PharmChemBio
and looking forward to continuing our HIV, substance use, and ART metabolism and BBB/CNS disposition work
After giving a talk today a PhD student told me I was only the 3rd black speaker he’d seen in 5 years of being in the program. It’s really sad to hear that. We’re out here, seminar series need to do better!
it's wild to be on the same F31 review panel that 10 years ago gave me harsh critiques for "receiving too many A-'s in undergraduate studies". what a privilege to be in the place to make a change for the next generation trying to get their first NIH grants
Two year anniversary of being an Assistant Professor! In that time we: hired the most amazing people, converted K99 into R00, secured a R01 (on the first try!), were awarded a supplement to the R00, received pilot funds from
@HopkinsCFAR
, and collaborated to publish 13 papers!
I am recruiting speakers for my departmental seminar series. Using animal models? Working on infectious disease or neuroscience? We want to hear from you! I'm specifically interested in junior investigators and people historically excluded from science. DM's are open!
Mr. Mike was the only person who spoke to me when I began my postdoc. At one of the loneliest, critical times in my career, he encouraged me to keep going and told me how proud he was of me. Janitorial staff are integral in supporting URM trainees, yet are not recognized for this
ROLL CALL!! I am Dionna Williams, PhD an Assistant Professor
@HopkinsMedicine
in the Retrovirus Lab of the Dept. of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology. In my lab we study how antiretroviral and drugs of abuse impact neuropathology.
#BlackInNeuroRollCall
#BlackInNeuroWeek2021
In planning a women in science event, I stated that we need to intentionally include trans women. The organizer stated that the event is focused on women and we cannot broaden to include other groups. My response: trans women are in fact women so they're automatically eligible
The Williams Lab is interested in all things NeuroHIV! Current projects include neuroinflammation, blood brain barrier, substance use, local CNS drug metabolism, and energy metabolism. A privilege to serve as mentor and team member!
#BiNW22
#BlackInNeuroRoleCall
@BlackInNeuro
Hi Twitter!! 🙋🏾♀️
The Williams lab is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral fellowship to evaluate the immunomodulatory impact of CBD on neurological function during HIV infection using nonhuman primates. Please see the flyer below for more details and contact info for applicants!
Get a lab that hypes you up! It's been a challenging few weeks and the lab surprised me with words of affirmation and my favorite snacks at lab meeting. So grateful for them!
Interested in a translational neuroimmunology postdoc? We aim to identify immune predictors of CNS decline during HIV. We're a supportive, fun lab committed to developing technical acumen and preparation for your career goals - whatever those may be! Start date available ASAP!
Hey
@BlackInImmuno
family! My lab studies how chronic inflammation makes the brain vulnerable to cognitive and mental health disorders during HIV. Some of our current projects are on immunometabolism and cannbinoids.
#BlackInImmunoWeek
#BIIRollCall
We're neuroscientists who work on HIV! A 🧵describing some of the exciting projects in the Williams Lab, including a graphical abstract for
#BlackInNeuroWeek2021
!
Y'all, I received the Rising Star Alumni Award from
@EinsteinMed
! Very honored to be chosen from among all of the other outstanding candidates. I received the best training at
@EinsteinPhD
and wouldn't be the scientist I am today without it
Can’t actually have DEI if we’re not including disabilities! Think about how accessible your campus, floor, building, or lab environment are for people with disabilities (including those that are invisible) and consider the impact that has on the scientific workforce
According to a National Science Foundation report, people with disabilities account for only 3% of the STEM workforce despite making up around 27% of the US adult population.
Eight years after my first application, I am proud to say ALL my student loan debt is officially paid thanks to
@NIH_LRP
! I cannot express how life changing the LRP has been and I am beyond grateful for their investment in me and belief in my potential to succeed
Exceptionally proud of
@AlyshaE_PhD
on receipt of her F31 from
@NIDAnews
! She is my first PhD student and worked so hard for this. Alysha was the driving force behind her resubmission and I cannot think of a better person to receive this opportunity
I was Vice Chair at the Barriers of the CNS Gordon Conference and recruited using the
@BlackInNeuro
network. The outcome? We had the most Black and marginalized folks - ever! We can do even better next time. Anyone working on the BBB, CNS flow or related areas? DM me!
#BINW24
Congratulations to our postdoc
@coryjwhite
,PhD for winning a FIRST place poster prize from the 20th annual
@NESS_News
AND receiving a notice of award for his K00 this week!
I'm so happy to announce our newest grant! We received a U01 from
@NIDAnews
to evaluate the impact of CBD and THC on adult neurogenesis, in the presence and absence of HIV. We'll perform non-human primate studies and are elated to join forces with
@ndhlovulab
and Michael Corley
Second Williams Lab baby! My office is all set up with a travel crib, bottle warmer, and toys. Can’t wait till you’re back from paternity leave
@coryjwhite
so I can have some good snuggles while you’re working! Enjoy these precious, hard, and exhausting months with your family.
We have 4 new members of the lab who are EXCEPTIONAL. They bring tremendous energy, ask outstanding questions, are fun to be around, and are so hardworking. I am privileged at the opportunity to be part of their scientific journey and can't wait to celebrate their successes!
Watching this picture being taken was surreal. So many of us were one of few, or the only, in our PhD programs and could’ve never imagined knowing so many other Black students. The future is bright y’all! They’re smart and go getters - I can’t wait to see their futures unfold.
Happy pride from your friendly neighborhood nonbinary, aroace neuroscientist. Please mark your calendar for Monday night for
@SfNtweets
' first ever LGBTQIA2S+ social at
#SfN24
! Looking forward to creating community and a sense of belonging. Hope to see you there!
"Do the work that excites you, be passionate, and take up space."
Inspiring words for young scientists everywhere from Dionna Williams, PhD (she/they), Chair of the
#SfN24
LGBTQIA2S+ social.
Find out more about
#SfN24
socials!
🔗
#PrideMonth
Got my first “not discussed” today. Looking forward to seeing the critiques and where I lost the reviewers. Let’s see if we can turn this thing around!
#BINW24
is here! I'm Dionna, an Associate Professor at Emory
@PharmChemBio
. We are a neuroHIV lab finding ways to treat the brain more effectively. Best part of my job? My lab! It's a privilege to be surrounded by brilliance and be a part of their journeys.
#BlackInNeuroRollCall
Super excited to talk about what led me to academia, my experiences being a new PI, and the joys of having your own lab. I absolutely love what I do and the scientific freedom it brings. Also, the ability to train the next generation brings me so much joy!
I'm super excited after having my regularly scheduled 1:1 meetings with everyone in the lab this week! Everyone is doing such an AMAZING job and in various stages of manuscript preparation, funding, and grad school applications. Be on the lookout for great things in 2022!
Am I missing something, is it not 2021? This is unacceptable and further contributes to perpetuation of an academic environment that is not welcoming for everyone. Mentorship events should be ESPECIALLY focused on including everyone that faces bias and discrimination
Our last lab celebration in Baltimore! There aren’t enough characters to express how much I care about these amazing people. I’m so grateful for their sacrifice to uproot their lives to move. More great science, hard work, fun times, and good food ahead. Next up, ATL!
I was just awarded preceptorship into the
@BCMB_JHMI
program! Beyond excited to have the opportunity to train the next generation of leaders in science. FYI, I'm also a part of
@CMM_JHU
and
@JHUPath
programs. Incoming students, where you at 👀? Reach out if you wanna rotate!
It is an honor to be amongst 52 brilliant Black scientists commemorating
#Juneteenth
and the call to action it reminds us is required to truly have more equitable science. Tremendous gratitude to
@phdgprotein86
for his leadership and spearheading this!
so honored and excited to witness my first
#deezling
(
#NSPeeps
mentee) defend his dissertation and join the
#PhDeez
club! CONGRATULATIONS, DR. WHITE!! 🍾🥂
I had similar experiences as a graduate student and during my postdoc. I've been so fortunate to have kind people in my life. I couldn't afford a heavy winter coat so the technician in my PhD lab let me borrow hers until I saved up enough for my own
One year in graduate school the situation got so bad that I had NO money for groceries. I mean < $20 left for the month. Not traveling for the holidays.
2 of my friends found out and for my birthday bought me a huge container of frozen food from the Vietnamese supermarket. 1/2
Imagine my surprise finding out the professor
@HofstraU
who gave a public seminar comparing me to Aunt Jemima and Buckwheat is now chair of the chemistry department...
Mentoring while still being a trainee was so important in helping teach me how to mentor others, and really helped shaped my mentoring philosophy. So happy to participate in this panel of talented scientists who give so much of themselves to others
Don’t wait too long to hire him! With a CV that already rivals junior faculty, a creative and innovative way to approaching neurochemistry, and an amazing work ethic, trust me when I say you won’t want to miss out. Oh and he doesn’t miss with the funding. Bet on
@coryjwhite
!
I am currently a postdoc in
@DWWilliamsLab
@EmoryUniversity
utilizing multiple models including mice, non-human and human samples to determine the metabolic consequences of HIV infection to the brain under the context of ART and other stressors.
Did you know cocaine can impact the ability of HIV meds to work in the brain? Thrilled to share our findings led by the all star team of
@RodnieCO
and
@Tonykne1
. This was truly a team effort where almost every person in the lab contributed to a figure!
Research strategy for my next R01 submission is only 11 pages. I have 9 figures, 2 tables, plenty of white space and all figures/legends are at an easily legible size. Hopefully reviewers will be happy to have to read less? Study section friends, will this be seen as a negative?
Learning I was Autistic 1.5 years ago changed my life and led me on a journey of self acceptance and love. It’s also made me a more compassionate and effective mentor! Listen to learn more about Autism and supporting the neurodivergent folks in your life
This Friday at noon, I will be sharing my journey in science and how it has led me to HIV health disparities research in the Racial Justice in STEM seminar series. Please DM me for the Zoom link. See the flyer below for more details!
Beyond grateful that my FINAL
@NIH_LRP
renewal from
@NIMHD
was funded! Thank you for investing in me. It's helped both my personal and professional lives - provided financial freedom to focus on research and directly contributed to my K99/R00 and R01 awards.
I am recruiting speakers for my departmental seminar series. Are you a veterinarian working in pathology or laboratory animal medicine? Have great research or an awesome case study? We want to hear from you! I'm specifically interested people historically excluded from science.
I feel like people don't acknowledge rap enough for teaching them how to spell. To this day, I still say "I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T do you know what that means" in my head when I write. Makes preparing papers and grants even more fun
Just got off a planning meeting for the
@NIDAnews
,
@NIMHgov
, and NIAAA diversity supplement panel I'll be participating in next week. Turns out, the panel is comprised of all black women! Come thru brilliant, NIH-funded, black women. So looking forward to it!
🗣️It's time for another lab ROLL CALL!! We’ve had a lot of new additions to the lab recently and it’s time again to highlight everyone that makes up our amazing team starting with those that have most recently joined in the 🧵below!
It was a fantastic first week at
@PharmChemBio
! Checked things off my list, a paper was accepted (!), and spoke with a PO about a grant that scored well but wasn't fundable. Feeling reinvigorated to put the grant back in with new insight I didn't have from the summary statement.
Congratulations to the newest member of our Lab,
@andrewgausepohl
, a talented undergraduate who was awarded the JHU Life Design Lab’s 'SOAR Summer Plunge' Grant! He’ll be studying how HIV impacts brain lipid composition. So proud of you Andrew, and welcome to the team!
Some BME Black Girl Magic in action. We had some fun during our photoshoot in the lab this past week!! Love the community we have built to support each other in grad school.👩🏾🔬
#blackandSTEM
#PhotoshootInPPE
#BlackHistoryMonth2020
Oh, and we're looking for a postdoc for an exciting, translational neuroimmunology project. For anyone who's interested, shoot your shot! We're a collegial, supportive, and fun lab who values what every member of our team brings to the table. Currently accepting applications!
I've really stepped up my "no" game the last few months, and the amount of peace and time it's given me! Evaluating alignment with my short and long-term goals along with how much I'd enjoy the task in question has helped me so much. Plus, "yes" feels that much sweeter now.
Cooler temps mean refreshing my fro to its naturally voluminous state in the bathroom at work after my hat squishes it down. Graduate school Dionna would've felt so uncomfortable doing this in public. So proud of my growth and progress in bringing all of me to every space I'm in
So proud of
@RodnieCO
for passing his qualifying exam today! He is exceptionally kind, never gives up, a great lab citizen and team player, and is single-handedly working to make our BBB models even better. Can't wait to see all the ways you'll continue being amazing!
Excited to share a co-first author paper with data generated back when I was a graduate student! Sometimes taking a second look at old data helps you see things you never saw the first time
Did you know brain lipids are heterogeneously present during SIV infection, even with treatment? Co-led by
@coryjwhite
and
@AndrewGausepohl
, we identified heterogenous lipid localization across - and within - brain regions, that differed from the periphery
This paper hit different! It was my first experience with immune signaling, the most challenging project I’d worked on, and was my first corresponding author paper as faculty. Looking forward to sharing the inside scoop behind what seems like a simple story!
What a privilege to be in the presence of brilliance and to help inspire the many coming behind us. Indeed, we are Black Excellence personified! My heart was so full the entire evening
I had multiple side jobs as a PhD student and a postdoc just to make it each month. Low stipends and reimbursement delays hit different when you're from a low income background
@BlackInNeuro
friends, who's doing BBB work? I'm Co-Chair for the upcoming Barriers of the CNS Gordon Conference and want to ensure we have diverse speakers. Looking for abstract submissions (with potential for talk) and invited talks. Please DM or email me with suggestions!
Can’t even believe this is a continuing conversation. If they’ve done the work to merit authorship, put them on the paper! I’ve had talented high school students on papers because they earned it. And guess what, costs you nothing to do the right thing!
[checks schedule of rotating twitter debates...ok good to mention this as relevant to PhD applications season] PUT UNDERGRADS & RESEARCH TECHS AS AUTHORS ON PAPERS IF THEY CONTRIBUTE TO PROJECTS.
It's a joy to serve as Vice Chair for the 2024 Barriers of the CNS Gordon Research Conference! Please get your applications in soon. You don't want to miss out on amazing science and unparalleled opportunity for networking because we're oversubscribed!
If you ever work with me in a laboratory setting, just know that I will dance when an experiment works and when it fails. Scientists, Science Lovers, join me in this
#LabDanceParty
I’m proud to be a
#NIHLRP
Ambassador! Do you have student loans? Do you have your terminal degree and are pursuing research? Then apply!
@NIH_LRP
is life changing. They’ve paid off 90% of my loans to date, and I have my last renewal pending (fingers crossed!). Questions? Ask me!
Did you know that there are over 700
#LRPambassador
's located across the country?
#NIHLRP
Ambassadors provide advice, encouragement, etc. to potential applicants. Request access to the directory to locate an ambassador near you.
#ecrchat
Being selected to speak by students is always an honor! Thank you to the
@DrexelMedicine
MCBG & CBio Graduate Program for extending the invitation. Anyone else that would like to learn about CBD as a Modulator of Inflammation during HIV infection Thurs. at 1pm DM me for the link!
Cannabinoid enthusiasts, check out our most recent paper led by
@DrJavierRosado
and Alysha! They found surprising lack of conservation of endocannabinoid receptor gene expression across mice, rats, and macaques. Lesson learned? Choose your model carefully!
At just over $2 million per year, each year, for 5 years, this is our largest grant to date and I am beyond thrilled! Adding a special meaning to it all is the fact that all PI's are from racial/ethnic groups historically excluded from science. Can't wait to get started!
I’ve been on Twitter for one year! So glad my lab convinced me to get on. It’s been an awesome time getting to know you all, and being a part of
#ScienceTwitter
. Happy
#MyTwitterAnniversary
to me!
Also need to give a shout out to
@DrJavierRosado
, an exceptional postdoc, who gave a great talk and poster at the Cannabinoid GRS. So fortunate to have great trainees in the lab to collaborate with!
Join our growing lab! We are seeking enthusiastic, motivated candidates for a Research Technologist position! The candidate will be responsible for performing molecular biology assays, mouse husbandry and related methodologies, and lab maintenance & organization. See info below!
My first ever podcast! I had a blast talking about some of the lessons I've learned that have been helpful in my career journey. Shout out to
@NIDAnews
and Albert Avila for their commitment to diversity and investment in my career. Check it out!
I'm a previous LRP awardee and ambassador! I received my first award in 2015 and renewed four times until my debt was paid in full. Forever grateful for the investment in paying off my loans so I could focus on my scientific career
#LRPchat
if youre attending
#SfN22
be sure to visit the Diversity Poster Session TONIGHT from 6:30-8:30p in the Conv Ctr Exhibit Hall!! many brilliant undergrad, predoc, & postdoc scientists will be sharing their research - come support, network, *AND* recruit!
#BPENDURE
#DSPAN
#NSPeeps
What an amazing time at the Society for NeuroImmune Pharmacology Meeting! My talk went very well,
@HannahNWilkins
gave an excellent talk on her thesis project, and the lab had so many posters. Most exciting was the Williams Lab sweeping the awards. Congrats all! Proud PI moment
Big CONGRATS to
@DrJavierRosado
for receiving a Diversity Supplement from
@NIDAnews
! Watch out world, he's a rising star cannabinoid, HIV, microbiome investigator. Huge thanks to
@EliseWeertsPhD
,
@SuezLab
, and Cynthia Sears for serving on his mentoring team
A must read, "facuty are 25x more likely to have a parent with a Ph.D. with 23.7% higher household income". Not surprising academe is easily accessible to the socioeconomically privileged. We must break the mold!
Thank you
@BlackInNeuro
for the opportunity and for all the love! Good mentorship is integral to success and I hope our approach and thoughts are helpful. Please join labs that want ALL of you to succeed, and leave when they make it clear you're not valued. Well being is KEY!
I cannot express enough how amazing
@HannahNWilkins
is! Go getter, hard worker, scientifically creative, innovative, kind, courageous, not afraid to speak up for what’s right, and an amazing human being. Such a privilege to co-mentor her with
@ProteomicsNews
Last week, I celebrated a milestone in my PhD career: receiving my white coat for completing all the necessary requirements to become a PhD candidate. Excited to take a moment and celebrate with friends and family and even more excited to continue in the journey!
Congrats and well deserved Cory! Feels so good to have the first Williams Lab member receive the LRP. I love being a
@NIH_LRP
ambassador - feels even better to help your own trainee secure the bag.
@neubadah
We’re looking for a postdoc for a translational neuroimmunology project. Ex vivo immune cell analyses, BBB migration assays, and collaborative neuroimaging! Official job posting will be up soon. DM if interested!
Woke up to great news this morning that my
@NIH_LRP
renewal was funded!! This will pay the remainder of my student loans 🙌🏽 I’m extremely grateful to my mentor
@DWWilliamsLab
and others that provided such great advice and insight! Also anyone considering applying reach out!
Filling out an application for my grandmother's passport and need to state whether her parents were US citizens. They were, but not at the time of their birth, and they'd only recently become considered to be human beings. I need some time to sit with this before I start my day
April 8th I will be giving a virtual talk, generously hosted by Dr. Kathy Wilson for the Hopkins Dept. of Cell Biology, on Cannabidiol as a Modulator of Chronic Inflammation During HIV Infection. Please DM for the Zoom link!
We also have a postdoc opening for this project!!!👇🏽
Hi Twitter!! 🙋🏾♀️
The Williams lab is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral fellowship to evaluate the immunomodulatory impact of CBD on neurological function during HIV infection using nonhuman primates. Please see the flyer below for more details and contact info for applicants!