Jan M. Williams, PhD

I am a research scientist, professor, and graduate program director of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The focus of my research is studying the early mechanisms involved in the early development of renal disease associated with obesity and diabetes.  Currently, we are investigating the role and function of immune cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) and inflammation in obesity-induced renal injury prior to puberty. 

Obesity is associated with the two most common causes of renal disease, hypertension and diabetes. However, renal dysfunction starts before the development of hypertension and diabetes. Moreover, obese children are at great risk factor of developing proteinuria in childhood and CKD later in life. Although the link between obesity and the development of diabetes-induced renal disease is well-documented in the adult population, the consequences of childhood obesity as an independent risk factor for the development of renal disease has received less attention. We are aiming to understand how these immune cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) cause renal injury and fibrosis. Our hope is that we find novel signaling pathways and provide the scientific community with information critical to develop new treatments or drugs for the prevention of renal disease associated with childhood obesity.

Ever since I was a child, I have been a huge fan of sports, especially basketball and football. I love training and coaching young kids (7-16 years old) in basketball and football. Currently, I coach Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball, and we travel and play in tournaments mostly in the southern region of the United States. This is actually, what I like to call “my healthy escape from science.” If science did not work out and I needed a “plan B,” coaching either basketball or football on the high school level would be something that I would enjoy doing.