Darren Williams is a Reader and Group Leader within the Department for Developmental Neurobiology. He became fascinated by insect nervous system development and metamorphosis as a postdoc in David Shepherd?s lab, at the University of Southampton and then went to work with Jim Truman at the University of Washington, studying the effect of steroid hormones on neuronal remodelling.
His work has elucidated fundamental aspects of early developmental events within the nervous system, particularly how the anatomy and function of lineally related neurons are specified, using the thoracic nervous system of Drosophila as a model. Alongside this, he has explored late developmental events that help sculpt neuronal connections, pioneering live imaging approaches in pupal stages.
By focusing on fundamental questions he has revealed mechanisms pertinent to the development all nervous systems. He has been funded by the MRC, the BBSRC, the Wellcome Trust, HHMI and the Royal Society
He is passionate about teaching and talking to non-scientists about science.
Mukherjee A, Williams DW (2017)
More alive than dead: non-apoptotic roles for caspases in neuronal development, plasticity and disease.Cell Death Differ
Shepherd D, Harris R, Williams DW, Truman JW (2016)
Postembryonic lineages of the Drosophila ventral nervous system: Neuroglian expression reveals the adult hemilineage associated fiber tracts in the adult thoracic neuromeres.J Comp Neurol
