Diana L. Williams

In addition to her Adjunct Assistant Professsorship in this Department, Dr. Williams is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences.  In these positions, she has assisted with teaching lectures in biotechnology for Biological Sciences and assists with the organization and teaching of the Molecular Epidemiology course for PBS.  She has been on graduate student committees.  In addition to her Adjunct Assistant Professsorship in this Department, Dr. Williams is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences.  In these positions, she has assisted with teaching lectures in biotechnology for Biological Sciences and assists with the organization and teaching of the Molecular Epidemiology course for PBS.  She has been on graduate student committees for both departments and is currently the major advisor for a doctoral student in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Research Interests

Dr. Williams’ main research interests are to define the molecular genetic basis of drug resistance in mycobacterial pathogens, with particular emphasis on those pathogens that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, and to define the molecular genetic basis of nerve damage by M. leprae.  In addition, she performs research to develop genetic systems for recombinant work in M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, and to develop molecular tools for detection of these organisms from clinical specimens.  Research in these areas has resulted in the publication of over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and lectures at both national and international meetings.  Dr. Williams’ research has been funded by the Heiser Program in Mycobacterial Diseases, the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, Roche Molecular Systems, and Marion Merrill Dow.

Selected Publications

Williams, D.L., Gillis, T.P., and Dupree, W.G. 1995.  Ethanol fixation of sputum sediments for DNA-based detection of M. tuberculosis.  J Clin Microbiol 33:1558-1561.

Williams, D. L. 1995. Keynote Address:  “Advances in the characterization of the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.”  In Advances in Tuberculosis Research. Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 1995.

Williams, D.L., Spring, L., Gillis, T., et al. 1997.  Evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction-based universal heteroduplex generator assay for direct detection of rifampin-susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis directly from sputum specimens.  Clin Infect Dis 26:446-50.

Williams, D.L., L. Spring, L. Collins, et al. 1998.  Contribution of rpoB mutations to the development of rifamycin cross-resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  Antimicrob Agents Chemother (In press, July 1998).

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