Dr Mark Williams
Lecturer in Cancer Biology
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Dr Mark Williams graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Immunology and Pharmacology from the University of Strathclyde in 2006, before undertaking a PhD in Immunobiology at Queen’s University of Belfast with Professor Madeleine Ennis and Professor Stuart Elborn.
Subsequently, he worked as a Research Associate at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (3Is) at the Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow from 2010 to 2016. It is here where Dr Williams conducted novel studies into Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and Multiple Myeloma with Professor Christina Halsey, Professor Gerry Graham and Professor Carl Goodyear.
Subsequently, he worked as a Teaching Associate and Researcher at the Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Strathclyde. During this post, Dr Williams started to acquire research independence focusing on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Multiple Myeloma (MM) and was involved in the design, delivery and assessment of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and learning activities undertaken by biomedical science students, both at the University of Strathclyde and the China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing.
Dr Williams was appointed as Lecturer in Cancer Biology within the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in 2017. He has over 13 years of expertise in researching haematological malignancies, including AML and MM, and has identified new therapeutically targetable disease mechanisms.
The Williams Research Group is focusing on modelling and targeting bone marrow microenvironment (BME) mediated therapy resistance mechanisms in AML and MM. The Williams group is also developing and investigating novel antibody-based therapeutics and protein degraders. Ongoing studies are focussing on the contribution of macrophages and fibroblasts towards BME-driven therapy resistance, as well as investigating the role of mechanisms by which AML and MM cells reprogram cellular elements of the BME in AML and MM.
The Williams lab is undertaking collaborative studies with key academic/clinical researchers: Dr Monica L Guzman (Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, USA), Professor Yong-Mi Kim (Children Hospital Los Angeles, USA), Professor Shaomeng Wang (University of Michigan, USA), Dr Kareem Azab (UT Southwestern Medical Center, USA), Dr Valerie Ferro and Dr Paul Mulheran (University of Strathclyde) and Professor Helen Wheadon (Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, University of Glasgow UK), as well as Biopharmaceutical researchers, Mr Eric Wagner (The Antibody Company), Dr Simon T Barry (AstraZeneca, UK) and Cyclacel.
In February 2022 Dr Williams was competitively awarded a prestigious Springboard Award from the Academy of Medical Sciences to further develop his Research Group. Dr Williams holds affiliate status at the School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, and is a visiting researcher at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde.
Further details of Dr Williams’ research and publication history can be located within his research profile.