Zoe Williams

Clinical Sciences

About Zoe

As a veterinarian, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Williams is committed to performing high-quality translational medicine and research. Her vision is to work within a collaborative and diverse team to unearth the molecular nuances of musculoskeletal diseases in order to develop better diagnostics and treatments. Her prior research in the Equine Neuromuscular Diagnostic Lab at Michigan State University specialized in a variety of muscle diseases in horses. The lab conducted comparative research pertaining to equine myopathies such as immune mediated myositis/MYH myopathy, recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, myofibrillar myopathy, and polysaccharide storage myopathies (PSSM). Currently, she is supported by a T32 postdoctoral research fellowship through the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. The research focuses on horses with osteoarthritis—a painful and debilitating disease that affects millions of animals and people worldwide. In particular, they are uncovering how microbial imbalances in the horse’s gut can influence inflammation and joint degeneration. The implications of this are profound – shifting from traditional joint treatments to strategies focusing on gut health. Their research advances a paradigm shift in translational medicine by including veterinary species to understand and treat complex diseases. Their goal is to ensure a long and pain-free life for both people and animals alike. When she is not in the lab or clinic, she enjoys riding her horse, loafing with her seven cats, doing yoga, hiking, and taking Zumba classes.

Education

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 2021Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2019Bachelor of Science, University of California, Davis, 2014

Certifications

Veterinary Medical Acupuncture, CuraCore Academy
Fear Free Certified Professional (+ Equine), Fear Free LLC
Infrared Thermographer, Infraspection Institute

Research Specialty

Neuromuscular diseasesMusculoskeletal diseasesEquine veterinary medicineTranslational medicine and researchBioinformatics and multi-omic research