Sharon E. Williams PhD

Clinical Focus

• Psychology
• Psychology, Child and Adolescent

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Danielle Colborn,  Brynn Kelly,  Megan Klabunde,  Rebecca Rialon,  Maria-Christina Stewart

Current Research Interests

Dr. Williams’ work focuses primarily on cognitive and emotional recovery of children who have been medically compromised. With improved medical treatment and increased survival rates comes the need to better understand the challenges that patients face following a life threatening illness or injury. Advances in medical technology have opened the door to a better understanding of cognitive development and the recovery or deterioration process over time. Currently, Dr. Williams is examining the neuropsychological impact of treatment for children who have undergone a bone marrow transplant (BMT). The existence of cognitive deficits in this population – intellectual and academic functioning, memory impairment, visual motor difficulties, problems with attention, concentration and executive functioning - has been in question over the years with research supporting both perspectives. Clinical experience and patient report, however, support the hypothesis that cognitive difficulties exist. New technologies such as imaging, used in concert with established neuropsychological measurement, offer great promise in expanding our understanding of the impact of these treatments and ultimately, improving outcome. Dr. Williams is conducting a NIH funded study examining neuropsychological functioning, imaging and genetic data. Additionally, Dr. Williams has studied children with traumatic brain injuries and continues to see these children in her clinical practice.

Clinical Trials

• Long Term Effects On Recipients of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recruiting

Publications

• Brief cognitive-behavioral intervention for maternal depression and trauma in the neonatal intensive care unit: a pilot study. Bernard RS, Williams SE, Storfer-Isser A, Rhine W, Horwitz SM, Koopman C, Shaw RJ. J Trauma Stress. 2011; 24 (2): 230-4
• Pivotal response group treatment program for parents of children with autism. Minjarez MB, Williams SE, Mercier EM, Hardan AY. J Autism Dev Disord. 2011; 41 (1): 92-101
• Is child psychiatric service different when provided by attendings versus clinicians-in-training? Williams SE, Martin JL, Dyer-Friedman J, Huffman LC. Acad Psychiatry. 2008 Sep-Oct; 32 (5): 400-4
• Amantadine treatment following traumatic brain injury in children. Williams SE, Brain Inj. 2007; 21 (9): 885-9
• Maternal perspectives on children's health-related quality of life during the first year after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Parsons SK, Shih MC, Duhamel KN, Ostroff J, Mayer DK, Austin J, Martini DR, Williams SE, Mee L, Sexson S, Kaplan SH, Redd WH, Manne S. J Pediatr Psychol. 2006 Nov-Dec; 31 (10): 1100-15