Bryan Williams, MD, PhD

Contact Information Phone: 612-624-0999 Fax: 612-625-2174 Email: bjwillia@umn.edu Address: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine 420 Delaware Street SE MMC 276 Minneapolis, MN 55455

Assistant Professor

Dr. Williams received his BS in Biology and Chemistry from Truman State University in 1995.  He completed MD and PhD degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2001.  During his PhD he studied microbial pathogenesis and immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Arnold Smith, a pioneer in the field of pediatric infectious diseases.  Dr. Williams did his internal medicine and pulmonary/critical care training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.  During his fellowship Dr. Williams focused on the care of patients with cystic fibrosis and conducted a quality improvement project as well as a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsored clinical trial.  Dr. Williams continued his basic science training in the lab of Dr. Timothy Blackwell where he studied the influence of microbial metabolites on lung inflammation.

Research Interests

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal genetic disease in the Caucasian population with death usually resulting from chronic lung infection and inflammation.  Cystic fibrosis patients have benefited from a vast research effort by the scientific community over the past 50 years which has dramatically increased their lifespan and improved their quality of life.  Whereas this disease was once very rarely found in adults, it is now the expectation that nearly all born with cystic fibrosis will survive well into adulthood.  Unfortunately cystic fibrosis is not yet cured and the effects of having this disease for many years are now being realized in the adult population.  While research is being conducted to prevent the CF gene from ever manifesting its normal disease traits, understanding the pathology as it exists in CF patients with long-standing disease is also critical to prolonging their survival.

The hallmark of CF lung disease is a chronic airways infection that, once established, is impossible to eradicate.  The airways infection is a complicated, evolving mixture of microbial and host inflammatory effects.  It is clear that multiple species of micro-organisms can be found in the lungs of CF patients, and most are rare causes of infection in people without CF.  Unfortunately the immune system within the CF lung is incapable of removing this infection, partly due to unique properties of the bacteria, and partly due to an abnormal immune function secondary to the CF genetic defect.

Dr. Williams studies the host-pathogen interactions in the CF lung.  He seeks to better understand the host response to bacterial metabolism found in the infectious milieu of the CF lung.  He has discovered a bacterial metabolite in the CF pathogen P. aeruginosa that may be involved in directly stimulating the immune system of the lung.  Some of these same metabolites are also made by the immune cells of the lung as well, and may in turn have effects on the bacteria themselves.  This interdisciplinary project involves basic microbiology and biochemistry, as well as lung immunology and physiology.  It is anticipated that this type of research will lend itself to discovery of potential therapeutic modalities targeted at both anti-microbial and immuno-modulatory effects.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Williams will be seeing outpatients with cystic fibrosis at the UMN Adult CF clinic.  His inpatient duties will be primarily on the CF-lung transplant service in the University Hospital.

Education

• 1995, BS-Biology and Chemistry, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
• 2001, PhD-Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri-Columbia
• 2003, MD, University of Missouri-Columbia
• 2003-2005, Internal Medicine Residency, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
• 2005-2009, Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee

Board Certification

Internal Medicine - 09/2006
Adult Pulmonary - 11/2008

Publications 

Williams, B., Morlin, G., Valentine, N., Smith, A.  Serum resistance in an invasive nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain. Infect Immun 2001; 69(2):695-705.

Williams, B.“Discovery and characterization of the HP2 phage in Haemophilus influenzae” Dissertation – University of Missouri-Columbia Press. Dec. 1, 2001.

Williams, B., Golomb, M., Phillips, T, Brownlee, J., Olson, M., Smith, A. Bacteriophage HP2 of Haemophilus influenzae. J Bact 2002; 184(24):6893-6905.

Chen, S.M., Cheng, D.S., Williams, B., Sherrill, T.P., Han, W., Chont, M., Saint-Jean, L., Christman, J.W., Sadikot, R.T., Yull, F.E., Blackwell, T.S. The nuclear factor kappa-B pathway in airway epithelium regulates neutrophil recruitment and host defense following Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Clin Exp Immunol 2008; 153(3):420-428.

Williams, B.,Du, R., Abdolrasulinia, R., Christman, B., Blackwell, T. Discovery of an operon that participates in agmatine metabolism and regulates biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa IN REVISION Mol Micro May 2009.

Abstracts

Williams, B., Slovis, B., Starmer, J., Newman, J. Improving inpatient cystic fibrosis care through an electronic order set and recurring house staff education. Ped Pulm 42(S30): 375, 2007.

Williams, B., Abdolrasulnia, R., Christman, B., Blackwell, T. Agmatine deiminase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ped. Pulm. 42(S30): 320, 2007.

Williams, B., Du, R., Calcutt, M.W., Blackwell, T. Agmatine induces TNF-alpha production in macrophages through alpha2-adrenoreceptors. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 177: A621, 2008.

Williams, B., Robinette, M., Slovis, B., Deretic, V., Perkett, E. Hydroxychloroquine – Pilot study of anti-inflammatory effects in cystic fibrosis. Ped. Pulm. 43(S31): 314, 2008.

Williams, B., Du, R., Calcutt, M.W., Blackwell, T. Agmatine is a novel inflammatory agent found in CF sputum. Ped. Pulm. 43(S31): 254, 2008.

Williams, B., Du, R., Calcutt, M.W., Blackwell, T. Agmatine is an inflammatory agent of the lung. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Apr 2009;179:S4013.

Completed Research Support 

NIH Loan Repayment Award
07/01/07-06/30/09
Role: PI

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation               WILLIA08DO0
7/01/08-06/30/09
“Fourth Year Research Fellowship Award”
Role: PI

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation              WILLIA07DO
07/01/07-06/30/08
"Third Year Clinical Fellowship Award”
Role: PI

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation                WILLIA06DO
07/01/06-06/30/07
“Second Year Clinical Fellowship Award”
Role: PI

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
"Pilot and Feasibility Research Award"
Role: PI