Associate Professor Joanna Williams

Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 8821
- joanna.williams@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Department
- Department of Anatomy
- Qualifications
- BSc MSc PhD (Otago)
- Research summary
- Molecular Neurobiology
Research
This research team applies the tools of molecular biology to uncover the mechanisms underlying how the brain adapts and responds when memories are formed. As ageing, brain trauma and neurological diseases result in deterioration of memories and have catastrophic affects both to the individual affected and society as a whole, it is important to understand the molecular steps involved in the maintenance of memories and identify how these are perturbed in disease.
For more details:
Neuroscience Research Group
Publications
Guévremont, D., Roy, J., Cutfield, N. J., & Williams, J. M. (2023). MicroRNAs in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 16272. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43096-9
Tippett, L. J., Cawston, E. E., Morgan, C. A., Melzer, T. R., Brickell, K. L., Ilse, C., … Le Heron, C., Buchanan, S., … Anderson, T. J., Williams, J. M., Cutfield, N. J., Dalrymple-Alford, J. C., … the NZ-DPRC. (2022). Dementia Prevention Research Clinic: A longitudinal study investigating factors influencing the development of Alzheimer’s disease in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2098780
Ryan, B., Baker, A. O., Ilse, C., Brickell, K. L., Kersten, H. M., Williams, J. M., … Curtis, M. A. (2022). The New Zealand Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ): A longitudinal study of pre-symptomatic biomarkers. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2101483
Chu, A. J., & Williams, J. M. (2022). Astrocytic microRNA in ageing, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disease. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 826697. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.826697
Guévremont, D., Tsui, H., Knight, R. G., Fowler, C. J., Masters, C. L., Martins, R. N., Abraham, W. C., Tate, W. P., Cutfield, N. J., & Williams, J. M. (2022). Plasma microRNA vary in association with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 14, e12251. doi: 10.1002/dad2.12251
Guévremont, D., Roy, J., Cutfield, N. J., & Williams, J. M. (2023). MicroRNAs in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 16272. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43096-9
Journal - Research Article
Chu, A. J., & Williams, J. M. (2022). Astrocytic microRNA in ageing, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disease. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 826697. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.826697
Journal - Research Article
Guévremont, D., Tsui, H., Knight, R. G., Fowler, C. J., Masters, C. L., Martins, R. N., Abraham, W. C., Tate, W. P., Cutfield, N. J., & Williams, J. M. (2022). Plasma microRNA vary in association with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 14, e12251. doi: 10.1002/dad2.12251
Journal - Research Article
Potemkin, N., Cawood, S. M. F., Treece, J., Guévremont, D., Rand, C. J., McLean, C., Stanton, J.-A. L., & Williams, J. M. (2022). A method for simultaneous detection of small and long RNA biotypes by ribodepleted RNA-Seq. Scientific Reports, 12(621). doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-04209-4
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., Baker, A. O., Ilse, C., Brickell, K. L., Kersten, H. M., Williams, J. M., … Curtis, M. A. (2022). The New Zealand Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ): A longitudinal study of pre-symptomatic biomarkers. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2101483
Journal - Research Article
Tippett, L. J., Cawston, E. E., Morgan, C. A., Melzer, T. R., Brickell, K. L., Ilse, C., … Le Heron, C., Buchanan, S., … Anderson, T. J., Williams, J. M., Cutfield, N. J., Dalrymple-Alford, J. C., … the NZ-DPRC. (2022). Dementia Prevention Research Clinic: A longitudinal study investigating factors influencing the development of Alzheimer’s disease in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2098780
Journal - Research Article
Kyrke-Smith, M., Logan, B., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2021). Bilateral histone deacetylase 1 and 2 activity and enrichment at unique genes following induction of long-term potentiation in vivo. Hippocampus, 31, 389-407. doi: 10.1002/hipo.23297
Journal - Research Article
Livingstone, R. W., Elder, M. K., Singh, A., Westlake, C. M., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2021). Secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha enhances LTP through the synthesis and trafficking of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 14, 660208. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.660208
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M., Tan, V. T. Y., Thompson, N., Guévremont, D., Mockett, B. G., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., Hughes, S. M., & Williams, J. (2021). Lentivirus-mediated expression of human secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha promotes long-term induction of neuroprotective genes and pathways in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 79, 1075-1090. doi: 10.3233/JAD-200757
Journal - Research Article
Loehfelm, A., Elder, M. K., Boucsein, A., Jones, P. P., Williams, J. M., & Tups, A. (2020). Docosahexaenoic acid prevents palmitate-induced insulin-dependent impairments of neuronal health. FASEB Journal, 34, 4635-4652. doi: 10.1096/fj.201902517R
Journal - Research Article
Livingstone, R. W., Elder, M. K., Barrett, M. C., Westlake, C. M., Peppercorn, K., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2019). Secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha promotes arc protein synthesis in hippocampal neurons. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 12, 198. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00198
Journal - Research Article
Mockett, B. G., Guévremont, D., Elder, M. K., Parfitt, K. D., Peppercorn, K., Morrissey, J., Singh, A., Hintz, T. J., … Tate, W. P., Williams, J. M., & Abraham, W. C. (2019). Glutamate receptor trafficking and protein synthesis mediate the facilitation of LTP by secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(17), 3188-3203. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.1826-18.2019
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., & Williams, J. M. (2019). Novel microRNA revealed by systematic analysis of the microRNA transcriptome in dentate gyrus granule cells. Neuroscience Letters, 707, 132280. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.09.003
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., Williams, J. M., & Curtis, M. A. (2019). Plasma microRNAs are altered early and consistently in a mouse model of tauopathy. Neuroscience, 411, 164-176. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.036
Journal - Research Article
Kyrke-Smith, M., & Williams, J. M. (2018). Bridging synaptic and epigenetic maintenance mechanisms of the engram. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11, 369. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00369
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M. M., Guévremont, D., Mockett, B. G., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2018). Circulating plasma microRNAs are altered with amyloidosis in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 66(2), 835-852. doi: 10.3233/jad-180385
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., Logan, B. J., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2017). MicroRNAs, miR-23a-3p and miR-151-3p, are regulated in dentate gyrus neuropil following induction of long-term potentiation in vivo. PLoS ONE, 12(1), e0170407. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170407
Journal - Research Article
Nido, G. S., Ryan, M. M., Benuskova, L., & Williams, J. M. (2015). Dynamical properties of gene regulatory networks involved in long-term potentiation. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 8, 42. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00042
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., Joilin, G., & Williams, J. M. (2015). Plasticity-related microRNA and their potential contribution to the maintenance of long-term potentiation. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 8, 4. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00004
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M. M., Guévremont, D., Luxmanan, C., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2015). Aging alters long-term potentiation—related gene networks and impairs synaptic protein synthesis in the rat hippocampus. Neurobiology of Aging, 36(5), 1868-1880. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.01.012
Journal - Research Article
Smith, C. C., Guévremont, D., Williams, J. M., & Napper, R. M. A. (2015). Apoptotic cell death and temporal expression of apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bax in the hippocampus, following binge ethanol in the neonatal rat model. Alcoholism, 39(1), 36-44. doi: 10.1111/acer.12606
Journal - Research Article
Dickerson, D. D., Overeem, K. A., Wolff, A. R., Williams, J. M., Abraham, W. C., & Bilkey, D. K. (2014). Association of aberrant neural synchrony and altered GAD67 expression following exposure to maternal immune activation, a risk factor for schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry, 4, e418. doi: 10.1038/tp.2014.64
Journal - Research Article
Joilin, G., Guévremont, D., Ryan, B., Claudianos, C., Cristino, A. S., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2014). Rapid regulation of microRNA following induction of long-term potentiation in vivo. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 7, 98. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00098
Journal - Research Article
Kennard, J. T. T., Guévremont, D., Mason-Parker, S. E., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2014). Redistribution of ionotropic glutamate receptors detected by laser microdissection of the rat dentate gyrus 48 h following LTP induction in vivo. PLoS ONE, 9(3), e92972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092972
Journal - Research Article
Trotman, M., Barad, Z., Guévremont, D., Williams, J., & Leitch, B. (2014). Changes in the GRIP 1&2 scaffolding proteins in the cerebellum of the ataxic stargazer mouse. Brain Research, 1546, 53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.12.027
Journal - Research Article
Eckert, M. J., Guévremont, D., Williams, J. M., & Abraham, W. C. (2013). Rapid visual stimulation increases extrasynaptic glutamate receptor expression but not visual-evoked potentials in the adult rat primary visual cortex. European Journal of Neuroscience, 37(3), 400-406. doi: 10.1111/ejn.12053
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M. M., Morris, G. P., Mockett, B. G., Bourne, K., Abraham, W. C., Tate, W. P., & Williams, J. M. (2013). Time-dependent changes in gene expression induced by secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha in the rat hippocampus. BMC Genomics, 14, 376. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-376
Journal - Research Article
Rushaidhi, M., Jing, Y., Kennard, J. T., Collie, N. D., Williams, J. M., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2012). Aging affects L-arginine and its metabolites in memory-associated brain structures at the tissue and synaptoneurosome levels. Neuroscience, 209, 21-31. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.02.021
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M. M., Ryan, B., Kyrke-Smith, M., Logan, B., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2012). Temporal profiling of gene networks associated with the late phase of long-term potentiation in vivo. PLoS ONE, 7(7), e40538. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040538
Journal - Research Article
Mockett, B. G., Guévremont, D., Wutte, M., Hulme, S. R., Williams, J. M., & Abraham, W. C. (2011). Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mediates Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent protein synthesis and long-term depression in rat hippocampus. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(20), 7380-7391. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6656-10.2011
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, M. M., Mason-Parker, S. E., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2011). Rapidly induced gene networks following induction of long-term potentiation at perforant path synapses in vivo. Hippocampus, 21(5), 541-553. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20770
Journal - Research Article
Tenorio, G., Connor, S. A., Guévremont, D., Abraham, W. C., Williams, J., O'Dell, T. J., & Nguyen, P. V. (2010). 'Silent' priming of translation-dependent LTP by β-adrenergic receptors involves phosphorylation and recruitment of AMPA receptors. Learning & Memory, 17(12), 627-638. doi: 10.1101/lm.1974510
Journal - Research Article
Claasen, A. M., Guévremont, D., Mason-Parker, S. E., Bourne, K., Tate, W. P., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2009). Secreted amyloid precursor protein-α upregulates synaptic protein synthesis by a protein kinase G-dependent mechanism. Neuroscience Letters, 460, 92-96. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.05.040
Journal - Research Article
Kennard, J. T. T., Guévremont, D., Mason-Parker, S. E., Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2009). Increased expression, but not postsynaptic localisation, of ionotropic glutamate receptors during the late-phase of long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus in vivo. Neuropharmacology, 56(1), 66-72. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.07.044
Journal - Research Article
Leitch, B., Shevtsova, O., Guévremont, D., & Williams, J. (2009). Loss of calcium channels in the cerebellum of the ataxic and epileptic stargazer mutant mouse. Brain Research, 1279, 156-167. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.04.051
Journal - Research Article
Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2008). LTP maintenance and its protein synthesis-dependence. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 89(3), 260-268. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.10.001
Journal - Research Article
Mockett, B. G., Guévremont, D., Williams, J. M., & Abraham, W. C. (2007). Dopamine D1/D5 receptor activation reverses NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression in rat hippocampus. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(11), 2918-2926. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0838-06.2007
Journal - Research Article
Williams, J. M., Guévremont, D., Mason-Parker, S. E., Luxmanan, C., Tate, W. P., & Abraham, W. C. (2007). Differential trafficking of AMPA and NMDA receptors during long-term potentiation in awake adult animals. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(51), 14171-14178.
Journal - Research Article
Ireland, D. R., Guévremont, D., Williams, J. M., & Abraham, W. C. (2004). Metabotropic glutamate receptor-mediated depression of the slow afterhyperpolarization is gated by tyrosine phosphatases in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Journal of Neurophysiology, 92, 2811-2819.
Journal - Research Article
Abraham, W. C., & Williams, J. M. (2003). Properties and mechanisms of LTP maintenance. Neuroscientist, 9(6), 463-474.
Journal - Research Article
Williams, J. M., Guévremont, D., Kennard, J. T. T., Mason-Parker, S. E., Tate, W. P., & Abraham, W. C. (2003). Long-term regulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits and associated synaptic proteins following hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Neuroscience, 118, 1003-1013.
Journal - Research Article
Coussens, C. M., Williams, J. M., Ireland, D. R., & Abraham, W. C. (2000). Tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent inhibition of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Neuropharmacology, 39, 2267-2277.
Journal - Research Article
Williams, J. M., Beckmann, A. M., Mason-Parker, S. E., Abraham, W. C., Wilce, P. A., & Tate, W. P. (2000). Sequential increase in Egr-1 and AP-1 DNA binding activity in the dentate gyrus following the induction of long-term potentiation. Molecular Brain Research, 77, 258-266.
Journal - Research Article
Williams, J. M., Mason-Parker, S. E., Abraham, W. C., & Tate, W. P. (1998). Biphasic changes in the levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-2 subunits correlate with the induction and persistence of long-term potentiation. Molecular Brain Research, 60, 21-27.
Journal - Research Article
Williams, J. M., Thompson, V. L., Mason-Parker, S. E., Abraham, W. C., & Tate, W. P. (1998). Synaptic activity-dependent modulation of mitochondrial gene expression in the rat hippocampus. Molecular Brain Research, 60, 50-56.
Journal - Research Article
Abraham, W. C., Logan, B., Thompson, V. L., Williams, J. M., & Tate, W. P. (1997). Sequence-independent effects of phosphorothioated oligonucleotides on synaptic transmission and excitability in the hippocampus in vivo. Neuropharmacology, 36, 345-352.
Journal - Research Article
Ryan, B., Baker, A., Ilse, C., Brickell, K. L., Kersten, H. M., Danesh-Meyer, H. V., Williams, J. M., … Curtis, M. A. (2018). Diagnosing pre-clinical dementia: The NZ Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ). New Zealand Medical Journal, 1476(131), 88-91. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Other