John V. Williams

John V. Williams, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics; Henry L. Hillman Professor of Pediatric Immunology; Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases; and Director, Institute for Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity in Children (i4Kids). Dr. Williams is an international expert on the epidemiology, immunity, and pathogenesis of respiratory viruses.

The major focus of his research is the immunity and pathogenesis of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). His team described the epidemiology of HMPV, a leading cause of lower respiratory infection, and discovered that HMPV uses integrins as receptors to enter cells through endocytosis. His group discovered that HMPV and other respiratory viruses induce lung CD8+ T cell impairment via PD-1 signaling. Dr. Williams also leads CDC-funded surveillance studies of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in children based at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He conducts collaborative research with clinical investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and international sites. He has participated in studies of respiratory virus epidemiology in North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. His group has published studies on coronaviruses, influenza virus, HMPV, parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinoviruses.