An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**A
              **.gov** website belongs to an official government
              organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**A
              **lock** (
              Locked padlock icon) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
 Top Utility Nav
        
        
        Asian-Language Resources
        
        Portal en español


Site search Mega Menu
  

        

        Home
                  Health Topics
                                      
    
  Health Topics

    Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases
          
    Muscle and Bone Diseases
          
    Skin Diseases
          
    All Diseases and Conditions
          
    Publication Catalog
                  Grants & Funding
                                      
    
  Grants & Funding

    Current Funding Opportunities
          
    Supported Scientific Programs
          
    NIAMS-Supported Programs
          
    Applying for a Grant
          
    NIH Policies and Guidance
          
    Peer Review and Grants Administration Resources
          
    Types of Funding Mechanisms (Activity Codes)
                  Labs @ NIAMS
                                      
    
  Labs @ NIAMS

    NIAMS Labs and Core Facilities
          
    Research Faculty
          
    Research Areas
          
    NIAMS Scientific Advances
          
    Training and Career Development
                  Clinical Trials
                                      
    
  Clinical Trials
      
            For Principal Investigators

    Clinical Trial Policies, Guidelines, and Templates
          
    Conducting Clinical Trials
          
    Register with ClinicalTrials.gov

For Patients

What is a Clinical Trial?
	Clinical Trials at NIAMS
	Clinical Trials in the Spotlight
                  News & Events
                                      
    
  Newsroom

    All NIAMS News
          
    NIAMS Newsletters
          
    Meetings & Events
                  About NIAMS
                                      
    
  About NIAMS

    Director's Page
          
    NIAMS Organization
          
    Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2020-2024
          
    Staff Directory
          
    NIAMS Budget
          
    Partnerships
          
    Contact NIAMS
                  Community Outreach
                                      
    
  Community Outreach

    Bone Health
          
    Joint Health
          
    Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament Health
          
    Skin Health
          
    Health Information For Kids And Young Adults
          
    Health Information For Older Adults/Seniors
          
    Printable Materials for Community Events
          
    Resources in Other Languages
          
    Annual Health Observances
          
    Social Media Resources Breadcrumb
    Home
          About NIAMS
          Sandra Williams, M.D., Ph.D.





Sandra Williams, M.D., Ph.D.


Metzger Scholar
    Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program Profile Image 
            Contact Information

                                                  301-594-3969
                
                                                9000 Rockville Pike
                  
            Bldg 10, Room 10N311
      
                  
                                   Bethesda MD 20892
                
                                                sandra.williams@nih.gov 
                Summary
          Sandra G. Williams earned her M.D./Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. Her biochemistry thesis focused on understanding the evolution and molecular basis of RNA-protein interactions in a family of proteins found in the spliceosome. Recently, Dr. Williams completed her residency training in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, and her rheumatology fellowship at the NIAMS. She is broadly interested in understanding how RNA surveillance pathways link to inflammatory responses and how this could contribute to rheumatic diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) are common lupus autoantigens, it is not fully understood how endogenous RNAs can activate inflammatory pathways in SLE.
        
                  Research Statement
          
            As a NIAMS Metzger Scholar in Translational Research, Dr. Williams works in Dr. Sandra Wolin’s NCI lab. Dr. Wolin is an RNA biologist with many years of experience studying RNA surveillance. Working in the lab, she has found that knocking out critical RNA surveillance pathways leads to an upregulated interferon response in cultured cells. Dr. Williams investigates the molecular basis for this phenomenon. She is also interested in understanding the role of extracellular vesicles in RNA quality control and whether disruption of RNA packaging into these vesicles could also lead to an upregulated interferon response which has implications for diseases like SLE. 

            Scientific Publications
              Resurrection of an Urbilaterian U1A/U2B′′/SNF protein.

    Williams SG, Harms MJ, Hall KB
        

                    J Mol Biol.
        
                    2013 Oct 23;
        
                    425(20).
        
                    doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.05.031
                            PMID: 23796518
  Climbing the vertebrate branch of U1A/U2B′′ protein evolution.

    Delaney KJ, Williams SG, Lawler M, Hall KB
        

                    RNA.
        
                    2014 Jul;
        
                    20(7).
        
                    doi: 10.1261/rna.044255.114
                            PMID: 24840944
  Binding affinity and cooperativity control U2B′′/snRNA/U2A' RNP formation.

    Williams SG, Hall KB
        

                    Biochemistry.
        
                    2014 Jun 17;
        
                    53(23).
        
                    doi: 10.1021/bi500438e
                            PMID: 24866816
  Linkage and allostery in snRNP protein/RNA complexes.

    Williams SG, Hall KB
        

                    Biochemistry.
        
                    2014 Jun 10;
        
                    53(22).
        
                    doi: 10.1021/bi500192a
                            PMID: 24849693
  Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Identify Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Inflammatory Arthritis.

    Subedi A, Williams SG, Yao L, Maharjan S, Strauss J, Sharon E, Thomas A, Apolo AB, Gourh P, Hasni SA, Gulley JL, Kaplan MJ, Katz JD, Gupta S
        

                    JAMA Netw Open.
        
                    2020 Feb 5;
        
                    3(2).
        
                    doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0032
                            PMID: 32101306
  The Autoantigen Repertoire and the Microbial RNP World.

    Williams SG, Wolin SL
        

                    Trends Mol Med.
        
                    2021 May;
        
                    27(5).
        
                    doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2021.02.003
                            PMID: 33722441 
          Education
              
            **National Institutes of Health, Frederick MD**
Clinical Fellow, RNA Biology, Lupus Research (2018-2021)

**National Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD**
Clinical Fellow (2015-2018)

**Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven CT**
Medical Resident (2006-2015)

**Washington University in St Louis, St Louis MO**
Ph.D. Biochemistry (2006-2015)

**Washington University in St Louis, St Louis MO**
M.D. Medicine (2006-2015)

**University of Chicago, Chicago IL**
B.S. Chemistry (2002-2006)             
                        Experience
              
            **Henry Metzger Scholar in Translational Research**
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD (2021-present)

**Adjunct Investigator**
National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD (2019-present)

**Clinical Fellow**
NIAMS, NIH, Bethesda, MD (2018-2021)

**Resident**
Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (2016-2018)

**Intern**
Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (2015-2016)

**Teaching Assistant**
Medical Student Physiology (2008-2009)


Last Updated: November 2021


Back to Top
 About NIAMS
                    Clinical Trials
                    Grants & Funding
                    Health Topics
                    Labs @ NIAMS
              News Room
                    NIAMS Multimedia Library
                    Disclaimer
                    FOIA
                    Contact us
              Privacy Statement
                    Accessibility
                    HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
                    Social Media Moderation Policy
                    NIAMS Archives
        Subscribe to Our E-Newsletters
            Click the button to see different options to sign up for newsletters.
            Click Here to Subscribe
          Follow us on
  
  About NIH
                  Accessibility Support
            FOIA requests
                  No FEAR Act data
            Office of the Inspector General
                  Performance reports
            Privacy Policy