Christopher Williams, Ph.D.

Christopher Williams is the Deputy Chief of the Education and Community Involvement Branch at NHGRI. He previously worked as the STEM Education Program Manager for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) where he engaged 3rd-12th grade teachers, students and the general public by sharing the stories of African Americans and their accomplishments in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and invention. Chris worked with educators from across the country leading professional development workshops and led STEM programs which informed students and their families in areas ranging from space travel, engineering, agricultural technology, and biomedical sciences.

Prior to his time at NMAAHC, he was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation. He worked in the Office of Integrative Activities, leading efforts in program assessment and measuring student outcomes. Chris completed a four-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in the NIDDK. He worked in the lab of Dr. Kevin O’Connell as part of the Laboratory for Biochemistry and Genetics where he researched C. elegans fertilization and fecundity.

Chris is a proud graduate of Georgetown University earning a Ph.D. in Biology, of Frostburg State University earning a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, and of the illustrious Baltimore City College High School in Baltimore, MD.