Chris Williams, MD, PhD, associate dean for Physician-Scientist Education and Training at Vanderbilt University, has been named to lead Research Education at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC).
He will oversee and coordinate cancer research training and education efforts. Williams is a professor of Medicine and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MTSP) at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has both national and international expertise in developing and implementing programs that foster inter-institutional sharing of best practices, vertical integration of peer-peer and near-peer mentoring, and initiatives promoting diversity in the physician-scientist community.
Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, the Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and director of VICC, said Williams’ existing roles at Vanderbilt University make him uniquely qualified to lead research training and education at the cancer center.
“As the associate dean for Physician-Scientist Education and Training and as director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, Chris will synergize strategic initiatives in training and education at VICC with both Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as offer new directions and expansion of the portfolio of programs offered through the VICC Office of Cancer Research Education and Training.
“Chris’s experience across the cancer education and training continuum at Vanderbilt — first as a trainee, mentored faculty, mentor to high school, MTSP, graduate students, fellows, and beyond, and as a physician-scientist and leader — make him uniquely positioned to lead these efforts for VICC,” Park said.
Williams began his medical training at Vanderbilt in the MSTP, followed by his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology as a Harrison Society Scholar. His research portfolio is focused on intestinal injury response/repair programs to understand how epithelial integrity programs are perturbed in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and in the progression to malignancy.
Williams succeeds Scott Hiebert, PhD, Hortense B. Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, and professor of Biochemistry. Hiebert will continue to serve as associate director for Shared Resources at VICC.
“We are most appreciative for Scott’s continued exceptional leadership,” Park said.