Pete Williams Lab

CENTRE FOR EYE RESEARCH AUSTRALIA &

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET

neuroprotection - from bench to bedside

The Pete Williams Lab uses the eye as a model of the central nervous system to elucidate early mechanisms of neurodegeneration. We are focusing on how neuronal metabolism intersects neurodegeneration - and using this to design neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies.

The lab utilizes modern -omic and molecular tools to delicately dissect pathways pertaining to early aging and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. These are used to identify potential therapeutic targets which we then test and verify in animal and cell models of neurodegeneration. We then work with clinicians to take these therapies to the clinic. Our work utilizes model systems including C. elegans, human and animal cell lines, rodents, and human samples and datasets. We are also leadership in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials. A major focus of the lab is glaucoma.

The strengths of the group include neurobiology and molecular biology techniques, gene therapy, drug testing, electrophysiology, and –omics data generation and analysis.

The Williams Lab is thankful to the following past and present funders Alcon Research Institute, ALF Medicine (Stockholm), BrightFocus, European Research Council, Fight For Sight, Glaucoma Research Foundation, Hedlunds Stiftelse, MSCA Actions, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Ögonfonden (Glaukomförbundet, Stiftelsen Synfrämjandets Forskningsfond), StratNeuro, StratRegen, Stiftelsen Kronprinsessan Margaretas Arbetsnämnd för synskadade, Stiftelsen Promobilia, Stiftelsen Tornspiran, The Glaucoma Foundation, Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council, Vinnova, as well generous gifts of philanthropy.

Meet the Team at CERA

Meet the Team at KI

Selected publications ⮟

Tribble et al. Cell Reports Medicine. 2025

Tribble et al. Cell Reports Medicine. 2025

Petriti et al. Nature Medicine. 2024

Petriti et al. Nature Medicine. 2024

Tribble, Jöe et al. Nature Comms. 2024

Tribble, Jöe et al. Nature Comms. 2024

Tribble et al. Acta Neuropath Comms. 2023

Tribble et al. Acta Neuropath Comms. 2023

Gustavsson, Enz et al. IOVS. 2023

Gustavsson, Enz et al. IOVS. 2023

de Moraes et al. JAMA Ophth. 2022

de Moraes et al. JAMA Ophth. 2022

Tribble et al. Redox Biology. 2021

Tribble et al. Redox Biology. 2021

Harder et al. PNAS. 2020

Harder et al. PNAS. 2020

Hui et al. CEO. 2020

Hui et al. CEO. 2020

Williams et al. Science. 2017

Williams et al. Science. 2017

All publications

    • Plavén-Sigray P, Bolin M, Palmér E, Dörfel R, Thor D, Schain M, Nilsson M, Golpour N, Brautaset R, Williams PA, Spin-Neto R, Probst M, Castaings J, Sörensson P, Marlevi D, Carlsson M, Kivipelto M, Svensson JE. “Multi-modal and multi-organ in vivo imaging to assess geroprotective interventions in humans: results from a pilot trial of rapamycin in Alzheimer’s disease”. medRxiv. 2026 (doi: 10.64898/2026.03.11.26348179), [PDF],

    • Petriti B, Subramanian S, Williams PA, Chau KJ, Licznerski P, Lascaratos G, Aguilar-Munoa S, Kamal D, Bae H, Alavian KN, Garway-Heath DF, Jonas EA. “Reversing mitochondrial dysfunction in optineurin E50K glaucoma: A metabolic approach to neuroprotection”. ResearchSquare. 2025 (doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8380062/v1), [PDF],

    • Long M, Tribble JR, Upadhyay R, Eddershaw A, D’Arcy-Evans ND, Nicol A, Cano-Franco S, Scaletti Hutchinson E, del Prado A, Stigsdotter H, Rudolfova N, Nirmalan D, Wiita E, Almlöf U, Krämer A, Mortusewicz O, Wallner O, Gileadi O, Homan E, Knapp S, de Vega M, Pål Stenmark, Stolz A, Helleday T, Sundström M, Williams PA, Michel M. “Mitochondria-directed OGG1 organocatalytic switches restore organelle function under oxidative stress”. ChemRxiv. 2025 (doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-420n2), [PDF],

    • Yousefi S, Chen H, Ingels JF, McCarty MS, Centeno AG, Chintalapudi S, Mulligan MK, Williams PA, John SWM, Jones BW, Jablonski MM, Hollingsworth TJ, Geisert EE, Lu L, Williams RW. “Computational approaches towards reducing contamination in single-cell RNA-seq data”. bioRxiv. 2020 (doi: 10.1101/2020.07.15.205062), [PDF].

    • Nicol A, Lardner E, Stålhammar G, Lewandowski SA, Tribble JR, Williams PA. “Osteopontin/Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 is reduced in the human retina and optic nerve during glaucoma pathogenesis”. The American Journal of Pathology. 2026 (doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2026.03.013), [PDF],

    • Rho S, Williams PA. “Prospects for neuroprotective therapies in glaucoma: drug targets and emerging clinical strategies”. Drug Design, Development and Therapy. 2026 (doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S612176), [PDF],

    • Hedström J, Nilsson M, Engvall M, Williams PA, Venkataraman A. “Health-related quality of life and tobacco and alcohol consumption in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in Sweden”. Frontiers in Ophthalmology. 2026 (doi: 10.3389/fopht.2026.1791334), [PDF],

    • Cuřínová P*, Jöe M*, Cesar F, Nicol A, Schwan K, Kohout M, Varrichio C, Saleh A, Wheelock CE, Jóhannesson G, Eigner V, Tribble JR, Brancale A†, Williams PA†. “Potent neuronal NAD-boosting tetrahydroquinoxalines: Structure-activity relationships and early DMPK evaluation”. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2026 (doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.6c00058), * co-first authors, † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Mouhammad ZA, Tribble JR, Nicol A, Andreopoulou E, García-Bermúdez MY, Aldana BI, Vohra R, Kolko M, Williams PA†. “Semaglutide protects retinal ganglion cells against rotenone-induced degeneration via improved glucose metabolism”. IOVS. 2026 (doi: 10.1167/iovs.67.2.25), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Hui F, Williams PA. “Vitamins and nutraceuticals in glaucoma research”. European Journal of Ophthalmology. 2026 (doi: 10.1177/11206721261419640), [PDF],

    • Vallbona-Garcia T*, Gustavsson ST*, Gorgels TGMF, Tribble JR, Webers CAB, Smeets HJM, Lindsey PJ, Jóhannesson G†, Williams PA†, Benedikter BJ†. “Circulating eNAMPT in glaucoma: A semi-quantitative plasma analysis before and after nicotinamide supplementation”. TVST. 2025 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.15.1.37), * co-first authors, † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Kocherlakota S, Nicol A, Locri F, Stebbins KJ, Lorrain DS, Tribble JR, Williams PA. “Pharmacological blockade of LPAR1 does not provide neuroprotection in a rat model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma”. TVST. 2026 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.15.1.11), [PDF].

    • Tribble JR, Williams PA. “Treating dysfunctional one-carbon metabolism in glaucoma”. Neural Regeneration Research. 2025 (doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-25-01089), [PDF],

    • Vallbona-Garcia T*, Tribble JR*, Gustavsson ST*, Benedikter BJ, Lindsey PJ, Webers CAB, Smeets HJM, Jóhannesson G†, Gorgels TGMF†, Williams PA†. “Short-term high-dose nicotinamide treatment across glaucoma subtypes reveals increased mtDNA content and minimal metabolomic change in blood”. Experimental Eye Research. 2025 (doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2025.110807), * co-first authors, † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Maioli S, Nalvarte I, Ankarcrona M, Schultzberg M, Zuloaga KL, Goikolea J, Jelle Visser P, De Strooper B, Winblad B, Pizzo P, Williams PA, Rodriguez-Rodriguez O, Naia L. “Bioenergetics and lipid metabolism in Alzheimer's disease: from cell biology to systemic health”. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2025 (doi: 10.1111/joim.70036), [PDF],

    • Ha A, Kim YK, Lee CK, Williams PA, Morgan JE, Shin YI, Kim E, Kim M, Rho S. “Effects of nicotinamide supplementation in normal-tension glaucoma: A crossover placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial”. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2025 (doi: 10.1136/bjo-2025-328096), [PDF],

    • Golpour N, Hui F, Nilsson M, Svensson J, Brautaset RL†, Tribble JR†, Williams PA†. “Interventional Vitamin Mix Glaucoma Study (IVMGS): study protocol for a prospective, randomized, two-arm, single-center trial in existing glaucoma patients”. Trials. 2025 (doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-09168-z), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Mouhammad ZA, Rombaut A, Garcia MY, Vohra R, Tribble JR, Williams PA†, Kolko M†. “Systemic semaglutide provides a mild vasoprotective and antineuroinflammatory effect in a rat model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma”. Molecular Brain. 2025 (doi: 10.1186/s13041-025-01224-8), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Jonk SM, Tribble JR, Swoboda P, Williams PA. “Amino acid neurotransmitters in sarcopenia and healthy aging”. Brain Research Bulletin. 2025 (doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111437), [PDF],

    • Jonk S, Nicol A, Chrysostomou V, Lardner E, Yu SC, Stålhammar G, Crowston JG, Tribble JR, Swoboda P, Williams PA. “Metabolic analysis of sarcopenic muscle identifies positive modulators of longevity and health span in C. elegans”. Redox Biology. 2025 (doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103732), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR†, Wong VHY, Stuart KV, Chidlow G, Nicol A, Rombaut A, Rabiolo A, Hoang A, Lee PY, Rutigliani C, Enz TJ, Canovai A, Lardner E, Stålhammar G, Nguyen CTO, Garway-Heath DF, Casson RJ, Khawaja AP, Bui BV, Williams PA†. “Dysfunctional one-carbon metabolism identifies vitamins B6, B9, B12, and choline as neuroprotective in glaucoma”. Cell Reports Medicine. 2025 (doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102127), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Muth DR, Quérat L, Venkataraman AP, Domínguez-Vicent A, Petrovski G, Williams PA, Locri F, Zweifel SA, Kvanta A. “Long-term natural history of treatment-naïve geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration”. TVST. 2025 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.14.5.5), [PDF],

    • Golpour N, Brautaset RL, Hui F, Nilsson M, Svensson JE, Williams PA†, Tribble JR†. “Identifying potential key metabolic pathways and biomarkers in glaucoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis”. BMJ Open Ophthalmology. 2025 (doi: 10.1136/bmjophth-2024-002103), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Bell KC, Chrysostomou V, Karlsson M, Jones BW, Williams PA†, Crowston JC†. “Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter alterations with advancing age and injury in the mouse retina”. Neurobiology of Aging. 2025 (doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.004), † contributed equally, [PDF],

    • Jöe M, Williams PA. “Targeting Wallerian degeneration in glaucoma”. Neural Regeneration Research. 2025 (doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01160), [PDF].

    • Rombaut A, Brautaset R, Williams PA, Tribble JR. “Intravitreal injection of the Galectin-3 inhibitor TD139 provides neuroprotection in a rat model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma”. Molecular Brain. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s13041-024-01160-z), [PDF],

    • Hedström J, Nilsson M, Engvall M, Williams PA, Venkataraman AP. “Ganglion cell complex layer thickness and visual function in chronic Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy”. IOVS. 2024 (doi: 10.1167/iovs.65.12.4), [PDF],

    • Stålhammar G, Hagström A, Ermedahl Conradi M, Williams PA. “Choroidal nevi and melanoma doubling times and implications for delays in treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis”. Survey of Ophthalmology. 2024 (doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.09.004), [PDF],

    • Cimaglia G, Tribble JR, Votruba M, Williams PA†, Morgan JE†. “Oral nicotinamide provides robust, dose-dependent structural and metabolic neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells in experimental glaucoma”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01850-8), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Hui F. “Mitochondria and primary open angle glaucoma”. Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. 2024 (doi: 10.1016/B978-0-443-13820-1.00103-1), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR*, Jöe M*, Varricchio C, Otmani A, Canovai A, Habchi B, Daskalakis E, Chaleckis R, Loreto A, Gilley J, Wheelock CE, Jóhannesson G, Wong RCB, Coleman MP, Brancale A, Williams PA. “NMNAT2 is a druggable target to drive neuronal NAD production”. Nature Communications. 2024 (doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50354-5), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Petriti B, Rabiolo A, Chau KY, Williams PA, Montesano G, Lascaratos G, Garway-Heath D. “Peripheral blood mononuclear cell respiratory function is associated with progressive glaucomatous vision loss”. Nature Medicine. 2024 (doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03068-6), [PDF],

    • Rombaut A, Jovancevic D, Wong RCB, Nicol A, Brautaset R, Finkelstein DI, Nguyen C, Tribble JR†, Williams PA†. “Intravitreal MPTP drives retinal ganglion cell loss with oral nicotinamide treatment providing robust neuroprotection”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01782-3), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Kim M, Kim JY, Rhim WK, Cimaglia G, Want A, Morgan JE, Williams PA, Park CG, Han DK, Rho S. “Extracellular vesicle encapsulated nicotinamide delivered via a trans-scleral route provides retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01777-0), [PDF],

    • Svensson JE, Bolin M, Thor D, Williams PA, Brautaset R, Carlsson M, Sörensson P, Marlevi D, Spin-Neto R, Probst M, Hagman G, Forsberg Morén A, Kivipelto M, Plavén-Sigray P. “Evaluating the effect of rapamycin treatment in Alzheimer’s disease and aging using in vivo imaging: the ERAP phase IIa clinical study protocol”. BMC Neurology. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s12883-024-03596-1), [PDF],

    • Canovai A, Williams PA. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone: a potential neuroprotective compound for neurodegenerative diseases targeting metabolism”. Neural Regeneration Research. 2024 (doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-01921), [PDF],

    • Otmani A, Jóhannesson G, Brautaset R, Tribble JR†, Williams PA†. “Prophylactic nicotinamide treatment protects from rotenone-induced neurodegeneration by increasing mitochondrial content and volume”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2024 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01724-z), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Casson RJ. “Glycolysis and glucose metabolism as a target for bioenergetic and neuronal protection in glaucoma”. Neural Regeneration Research. 2024 (doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.389638), [PDF].

    • Gustavsson ST*, Enz TJ*, Tribble JR, Nilsson M, Lindqvist A, Lindén C, Hagström A, Rutigliani C, Lardner E, Stålhammar G, Williams PA†, Jóhannesson G†. “Nicotinamide prevents retinal vascular dropout in a rat model of ocular hypertension and supports ocular blood supply in glaucoma patients”. IOVS. 2023 (doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.14.34), * co-first author, † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Rombaut A, Brautaset R, Williams PA†, Tribble JR†. “Glial metabolic alterations during glaucoma pathogenesis”. Frontiers in Ophthalmology. 2023 (doi: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1290465), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Soucy JR, Aguzzi EA, Cho J, Gilhooley MJ, Keuthan C, Luo Z, Monavarfeshani A, Saleem ME, Wang XW, Wohlschlegel J, The RReSTORe Consortium*, Baranov P, Di Polo A, Fortune B, Gokoffski K, Goldberg JL, Guido W, Kolodkin AL, Mason CA, Ou Y, Reh TA, Ross AG, Samuels BC, Welsbie D, Zack DJ, Johnson TV. “Retinal ganglion cell repopulation for vision restoration in optic neuropathy: a roadmap from the RReSTORe Consortium”. Molecular Neurodegeneration. 2023 (doi: 10.1186/s13024-023-00655-y), * Williams PA as part of The RReSTORe Consortium, [PDF],

    • Canovai A, Tribble JR, Jöe M, Westerlund DY, Amato R, Trounce IA, Dal Monte M, Williams PA. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone drives ATP synthesis in vitro and in vivo and provides retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2023 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-023-01642-6), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR, Hui F, Quintero H, El Hajji S, Bell K, Di Polo A, Williams PA. “Neuroprotection in glaucoma: Mechanisms beyond intraocular pressure lowering”. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2023 (doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101193), [PDF],

    • Herrspiegel C, Plastino F, Lardner E, Seregard S, Williams PA, André H, Stålhammar G. “A serum protein signature at the time of uveal melanoma diagnosis predicts long-term patient survival”. BMC Cancer. 2023 (doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-10757-x), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR, Hagström A, Jusseaume K, Lardner E, Wong RCB, Stålhammar G, Williams PA. “NAD salvage pathway machinery expression in normal and glaucomatous retina and optic nerve”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2023 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-023-01513-0), [PDF],

    • Nieuwenhuis B, Laperrousaz E, Tribble JR, Verhaagen J, Fawcett JW, Martin KR, Williams PA, Osborne A. “Improving adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated transgene expression in retinal ganglion cells: comparison of five promoters”. Gene Therapy.2023 (doi: 10.1038/s41434-022-00380-z), [PDF].

    • Stålhammar G, Williams PA, Landelius T. “The prognostic implication of latitude in uveal melanoma: A nationwide observational cohort study of all patients born in Sweden between 1947 and 1989”. Discover Oncology. 2022 (doi: 10.1007/s12672-022-00584-0), [PDF],

    • Rutigliani C*, Tribble JR*, Hagström A, Lardner E, Jóhannesson G, Stålhammar G, Williams PA. “Widespread retina and optic nerve neuroinflammation in enucleated eyes from glaucoma patients”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2022 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-022-01427-3), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Enz TJ*, Maloca PM*, Tschopp M, Menke MN, Tribble JR, Williams PA, Inglin N, Steitz U, Scholl HPN, Papazoglou A. “Volume-rendered optical coherence tomography angiography during ocular interventions: advocating for non-invasive intraoperative retinal perfusion monitoring”. Journal of Biophotonics. 2022 (doi: 10.1002/jbio.202200169), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Tribble JR*, Kastanaki E*, Uslular AB, Rutigliani C, Enz TJ, Williams PA. “Valproic acid reduces neuroinflammation to provide retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection in the retina axotomy model”. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2022 (doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.903436), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Hagström A, Kal Omar R, Williams PA, Stålhammar G. “The rationale for treating uveal melanoma with adjuvant melatonin: a review of the literature”. BMC Cancer. 2022 (doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09464-w), [PDF],

    • Mouhammad ZA, Vohra R, Horwitz A, Thein AS, Rovelt J, Cvenkel B, Williams PA, Azuara-Blanco A, Kolko M. “Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists - potential game changers in the treatment of glaucoma?”. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2022 (doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.824054), [PDF],

    • Enz TJ, Bittner M, Tribble JR,Williams PA, Thiel MA, Schmid MK, Bachmann LM, Bochmann F. “Comparative assessment of retinal blood flow velocity changes following brimonidine and brinzolamide administration using retinal function imaging”. Translational Vision Science & Technology. 2022 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.11.2.1), [PDF],

    • De Moraes CG, John SWM, Williams PA, Blumberg DM, Cioffi GA, Liebmann JM. “Nicotinamide and pyruvate for neuroenhancement in open-angle glaucoma: a randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial using clustered perimetry”. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2022 (doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2021.4576), [PDF].

    • Enz TJ*, Tribble JR*, Williams PA. “Comparison of glaucoma-relevant transcriptomic datasets identifies novel drug targets for retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection”. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021 (doi: 10.3390/jcm10173938), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Petriti B, Williams PA, Lascaratos G, Chau K-Y, Garway-Heath DF. “Neuroprotection in glaucoma: NAD+/NADH redox state as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target”. Cells. 2021 (doi: 10.3390/cells10061402), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR, Otmani A, Sun S, Ellis S, Cimaglia G, Vohra R, Jӧe M, Lardner E, Venkataraman AP, Domínguez-Vicent A, Kokkali E, Rho S, G Jóhannesson, Burgess RW, Fuerst PG, Brautaset R, Kolko M, Morgan JE, Crowston JG, Votruba M, Williams PA. “Nicotinamide provides neuroprotection in glaucoma by protecting against mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction”. Redox Biology. 2021 (doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.101988), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR, Hui F, Jöe M, Bell K, Chrysostomou V, Crowston JG, Williams PA. “Targeting diet and exercise for neuroprotection and neurorecovery in glaucoma”. Cells. 2021 (doi: 10.3390/cells10020295), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR*, Kokkali E*, Otmani A, Plastino F, Lardner E, Vohra R, Kolko M, Andre H, Morgan JE, Williams PA. “When is a control not a control? Reactive microglia occur throughout the control contralateral pathway of retinal ganglion cell projections in experimental glaucoma”. Translational Vision Science & Technology. 2021 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.10.1.22), * co-first author, [PDF],

    • Tribble JR, Otmani A, Kokkali E, Lardner E, Morgan JE, Williams PA. “Retinal ganglion cell degeneration in a rat magnetic bead model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma”. Translational Vision Science & Technology. 2021 (doi: 10.1167/tvst.10.1.21), [PDF].

    • Harder JM, Guymer C, Wood JPM, Daskalakis E, Chidlow G, Zhang C, Balasubramanian R, Cardozo BH, Foxworth NE, Deering KE, Ouellette TB, Montgomery C, Wheelock CE, Casson RJ, Williams PA†, John SWM†. “Disturbed glucose and pyruvate metabolism in glaucoma with neuroprotection by pyruvate or rapamycin”. PNAS. 2020 (doi: 10.1073/pnas.2014213117), † corresponding authors, [PDF],

    • Bevan RJ, Hughes TR, Williams PA, Good MA, Morgan BP, Morgan JE. “Retinal ganglion cell degeneration correlates with hippocampal spine loss in experimental Alzheimer’s disease”. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2020 (doi: 10.1186/s40478-020-01094-2), [PDF],

    • Harder JM, Williams PA, Braine CE, Yang HS, Thomas JM, Foxworth NE, John SWM, Howell GR. “Complement peptide C3a receptor 1 promotes optic nerve degeneration in DBA/2J mice”. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020 (doi: 10.1186/s12974-020-02011-z), [PDF],

    • Petrova V, Pearson CS, Ching J, Tribble JR, Solano AG, Yang Y, Love FM, Watt RJ, Osborne A, Reid E, Williams PA, Martin KR, Geller HM, Eva R, Fawcett JW. “Protrudin functions from the endoplasmic reticulum to support axon regeneration in the adult CNS”. Nature Communications. 2020 (doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19436-y), [PDF],

    • Cimaglia G, Votruba M, Morgan JE, André H, Williams PA. “Potential therapeutic benefit of NAD+ supplementation for glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration”. Nutrients. 2020 (doi: 10.3390/nu12092871), [PDF],

    • Casson RJ, Chidlow G, Crowston JG, Williams PA, Wood JPM. “Retinal energy metabolism in health and glaucoma”. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2020 (doi: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100881), [PDF],

    • Bevan RJ, Williams PA, Waters CT, Thirgood R, Mui A, Seto S, Good MA, Morgan JE, Votruba M, Erchova I. “OPA1 deficiency accelerates hippocampal synaptic remodelling and age-related deficits in learning and memory”. Brain Communications. 2020 (doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa101), [PDF],

    • Hui F, Tang J, Williams PA, McGuinness MB, Hadoux X, Casson RJ, Coote M, Trounce IA, Martin KR, van Wijngaarden P, Crowston JG. “Improvement in inner retinal function in glaucoma in response to nicotinamide (vitamin B3) supplementation: A crossover randomized clinical trial”. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. 2020 (doi: 10.1111/ceo.13818), [PDF],

    • Tribble JR*, Harder JM*, Williams PA†, John SWM†. “Ocular hypertension suppresses homeostatic gene expression in optic nerve head microglia of DBA/2J mice”. Molecular Brain. 2020 (doi: 10.1186/s13041-020-00603-7), * co-first author. † corresponding authors, [PDF].

    • Tribble JR, Vasalauskaite A, Redmond T, Young RD, Hassan S, Fautsch MP, Sengpiel F, Williams PA, Morgan JE. “Midget retinal ganglion cell dendritic and mitochondrial degeneration is an early feature of human glaucoma”. Brain Communications. 2019 (doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcz035), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Braine CE, Kizhatil K, Foxworth NE, Tolman NG, Harder JM, Scott RA, Sousa GL, Panitch A, Howell GR, John SWM. “Inhibition of monocyte-like cell extravasation protects from neurodegeneration in DBA/2J glaucoma”. Molecular Neurodegeneration. 2019 (doi: 10.1186/s13024-018-0303-3), [PDF].

    • Tribble JR, Williams PA, Caterson B, Sengpiel F, Morgan JE. “Digestion of the glycosaminoglycan extracellular matrix by chondroitinase ABC supports retinal ganglion cell dendritic preservation in a rodent model of experimental glaucoma”. Molecular Brain. 2018 (doi: 10.1186/s13041-018-0412-5), [PDF],

    • Harder JM, Williams PA, Soto I, Foxworth NE, Fernandes KA, Freeburg NF, Howell GR, Libby R, John SWM. “Jnk2 deficiency increases the rate of glaucomatous neurodegeneration in ocular hypertensive DBA/2J mice”. Cell Death & Disease. 2018 (doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-0705-8), [PDF],

    • Choquet H, Paylakhi S, Kneeland SC, Thai KK, Hoffmann TJ, Yin J, Kvale MN, Banda Y, Tolman NG, Williams PA, Schaefer C, Melles R, Risch N, John SWM, Nair KS, Jorgenson E. “A multiethnic genome-wide association study of primary open-angle glaucoma identifies novel risk loci”. Nature Communications. 2018 (doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04555-4), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Harder JM, Cardozo BH, Foxworth NE, John SWM. “Nicotinamide treatment robustly protects from inherited mouse glaucoma”. Communicative & Integrative Biology. 2018 (doi: 10.1080/19420889.2017.1356956), [PDF].

    • Williams PA, Harder JM, John SWM. “Glaucoma as a metabolic optic neuropathy: making the case for nicotinamide treatment in glaucoma”. Journal of Glaucoma. 2017 (doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000000767), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Braine CE, Foxworth NE, Cochran KE, John SWM. “GlyCAM1 negatively modulates monocyte entry into the optic nerve head and contributes to radiation-based protection in glaucoma”. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2017 (doi: 10.1186/s12974-017-0868-8), [PDF],

    • Harder JM, Braine CE, Williams PA, Zhu X, MacNicoll KH, Sousa GL, Buchanan RA, Smith RS, Libby RT, Howell GR, John SWM. “Early immune responses are independent of RGC dysfunction in glaucoma with complement component C3 being protective”. PNAS. 2017 (doi: 10.1073/pnas.1608769114), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Harder JM, Foxworth NE, Cardozo BH, John SWM. “Nicotinamide and WLDS act together to prevent neurodegeneration in glaucoma”. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2017 (doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00232), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Harder JM, Foxworth NE, Cochran KE, Philip VM, Porciatti V, Smithies O, John SWM. “Vitamin B3 modulates mitochondrial vulnerability and prevents glaucoma in aged mice”. Science. 2017 (doi: 10.1126/science.aal0092), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Marsh-Armstrong N, Howell GR. “Neuroinflammation in glaucoma: A new opportunity”. Experimental Eye Research. 2017 (doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.02.014), [PDF].

    • Williams PA*, Tribble JR*, Pepper KW, Cross SD, Morgan BP, Morgan JE, John SWM, Howell GR. “Inhibition of the classical pathway of the complement cascade prevents early dendritic and synaptic degeneration in glaucoma”. Molecular Neurodegeneration. 2016 (doi: 10.1186/s13024-016-0091-6), * co-first author, [PDF].

    • Fernandes KA, Harder JM, Williams PA, Rausch RL, Kiernan AE, Nair KS, Anderson MG, John SWM, Howell GR, Libby RT. “Using genetic mouse models to gain insight into glaucoma: Past results and future possibilities”. Experimental Eye Research. 2015 (doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.06.019), [PDF],

    • Lee ST, Williams PA, Braine CE, Lin DT, John SWM, Irazoqui PP. “A miniature, fiber-coupled, wireless, deep-brain optogenetic stimulator”.  Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. 2015 (doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2015.2391282), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Howell GR, Barbay JM, Braine CE, Sousa GL, John SWM, Morgan JE. “Retinal ganglion cell dendritic atrophy in DBA/2J glaucoma”. PLoS One. 2013 (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072282), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Thirgood RA, Littlewood E, Votruba M, Oliphant H, Good MA, Williams J, Morgan JE. “Retinal ganglion cell dendritic degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease”. Neurobiology of Aging. 2013 (doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.01.006), [PDF].

    • Williams PA, Piechota M, Von Ruhland C, Taylor E, Morgan JE, Votruba M. “Opa1 is essential for retinal ganglion cell synaptic architecture and connectivity”. Brain. 2012 (doi: 10.1093/brain/awr330), [PDF].

    • Barnard AR, Issa PC, Perganta G, Williams PA, Davies V, Sekaran S, Votruba M, MacLaren RE. “Specific deficits in visual electrophysiology in a mouse model of dominant optic atrophy”. Experimental Eye Research. 2011 (doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2011.07.004), [PDF],

    • Williams PA, Morgan JE, Votruba M. “Mouse models of dominant optic atrophy: What do they tell us about the pathophysiology of visual loss?”. Vision Research. 2011 (doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2010.08.031), [PDF].

    • Williams PA, Morgan JE, Votruba, M. “Opa1 deficiency in a mouse model of dominant optic atrophy leads to retinal ganglion cell dendropathy”. Brain. 2010 (doi: 10.1093/brain/awq218), [PDF].

Join us

Although we do not currently have any openings, Pete is always happy to hear from those interested in science - from the basic to the translational level.

Central lab activities are conducted at The Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne with additional activities at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. The working language of the lab is English.

Find us: Pete Williams Lab

Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 10, 200 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne 3002, VIC, Australia

Eye Centre of Excellence, Eugeniavägen 12, 171 64 Solna, Sweden

Pete Williams Lab @ KI
PETE WILLIAMS @ CERA