Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellow

Rodney Williams

Rodney Williams is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. 

Describe your interest in participating in the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship.
Williams: My path to research was shaped by science advocacy long before I knew the term. As an undergraduate at Jackson State University (JSU), I saw firsthand how structural inequities could limit access to research. Despite being one of the top producers of Black biology graduates nationally, JSU lacked the infrastructure to support students interested in biomedical research.

With faculty support, I founded the JSU Biological Society to change that. We launched programs from the ground up, including a research opportunity newsletter, science outreach in local schools, resume and CV workshops, and a “Black in Biology” panel series that connected students with Black scientists across sectors. By graduation, we had grown to nearly 200 members, helped increase summer research participation by more than 60 percent, and completed over 1,000 hours of science outreach within the university and local communities. That experience shaped more than my leadership skills. It solidified my belief that science and advocacy are inseparable, and that advancing science requires ensuring equitable access to it.

I have carried that mission forward at every stage of my training. From mentoring K-12 students in Baltimore public schools to leading university-wide advocacy for graduate students, I have worked to make science more visible, more inclusive, and more supported. These efforts have deepened my belief that outreach must be matched by strong policy. My current advocacy focuses on systemic issues, including research workforce development, federal training and funding mechanisms, mental health support for trainees, and inclusive access to research careers.

At Johns Hopkins, I have led efforts to expand graduate student support, represented over 900 peers as President of the Graduate Student Association, and served on university committees that shape doctoral education and academic policy. I have trained in science policy through the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Fellowship, where I drafted a policy memo on biosafety reforms, and I completed FASEB’s Introduction to Science Policy and Advocacy course. While I gained a strong foundation from that experience, the federal science policy landscape has shifted significantly. Debates around diversity and inclusion in science, research security, and training programs continue to evolve. The Howard Garrison Science Advocacy Fellowship is a timely opportunity to re-engage with these pressing issues, deepen my understanding of federal agency processes, and contribute meaningfully to FASEB’s policy and advocacy efforts.

My commitment to advocacy is also deeply personal. As a former NIH PREP scholar, I directly benefited from federal programs designed to increase representation in biomedical research. That investment changed my life and strengthened my resolve to ensure others have the same chance. I am particularly interested in how federal agencies, such as NIH and NSF, design policies that shape research access, training programs, and workforce development.

How do you plan to use the knowledge and experience gained through your participation in the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship?
Williams: I plan to use the knowledge and experience gained from the Howard Garrison Science Advocacy Fellowship to become a more effective advocate for equitable research policy and inclusive workforce development. In the near term, I will apply what I learn to my ongoing leadership and science policy work at Johns Hopkins. This includes university committee service, graduate student advocacy, and mentoring efforts focused on increasing access to research careers. I also plan to collaborate with other trainees, including fellow members of the Johns Hopkins Science Policy and Diplomacy Group, to share federal policy updates, promote advocacy initiatives, and increase science policy engagement among graduate students.

Beyond my institution, this fellowship will strengthen my ability to engage directly with policymakers, federal agency staff, and professional societies on issues that affect the biomedical research ecosystem. I hope to contribute to national conversations around training program access, research funding, and representation in science, drawing from both my research background and my lived experience as a former NIH PREP scholar and HBCU graduate.

In the long term, I plan to pursue a career that bridges biomedical research, public policy, and research workforce development. Whether through work in a federal agency, on Capitol Hill, or in a nonprofit organization, I want to help shape policies that support both scientific advancement and the people behind it.

Using no more than 250 words, describe your research as you would to a non-scientist.
Williams: I study a group of viruses carried by mosquitoes called alphaviruses, which can infect the brain and spinal cord and lead to serious neurological complications, including paralysis, seizures, and long-term cognitive issues. Despite their growing public health impact, with hundreds of thousands of infections each year, we still don’t fully understand how these viruses cause damage to the nervous system.

My research focuses on identifying how these viruses trigger the death of brain and spinal cord cells, called neurons or nerves, during infection. To study this, I generate human neurons in the lab by reprogramming skin cells using stem cell technology. I then infect these neurons with alphaviruses to examine how the viruses disrupt their normal function. A major focus of my work is a protein called PARP1, which normally helps repair damaged DNA in cells. However, during infection, PARP1 is constantly turned on and becomes overactive, a response that can interfere with the ability of the cells to produce energy, maintain balance, and other vital functions. Importantly, we have found that blocking PARP1activity during infection can prevent neuron death and more severe neurological symptoms.

Now, I am working to uncover exactly how this overactivation of PARP1 leads to neuronal dysfunction. By identifying which essential cellular functions are disrupted, we aim to pinpoint new targets for treatment. Ultimately, this work could help develop therapies that limit brain and spinal cord damage during infection and improve recovery for people affected by alphaviruses and other neurological infections.

Briefly describe any past or present participation in additional career exploration activities, experiences, and/or programs.
Williams: I have explored a range of career pathways through leadership, policy engagement, and structured training programs. As an undergraduate, I helped launch the JSU Biological Society, which introduced me to science outreach and reinforced my interest in advocating for broader access to research. As Chief Senator of the JSU Student Government Association, I was selected as a student delegate for the university’s annual advocacy day at the Mississippi State Capitol, where I gained firsthand experience engaging with state lawmakers on higher education and research funding.

During my postbaccalaureate year as an NIH PREP Scholar at the Galveston National Laboratory, I witnessed how federal policymaking shaped the COVID-19 research response, deepening my interest in science policy. Since starting my doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins, I have held multiple leadership and advisory roles that have exposed me to academic governance and research policy. As President of the Graduate Student Association, I worked on university-level committees focused on graduate education, research training, and institutional policies. I have also led recruitment and diversity initiatives within the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Through the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Fellows Program, I received formal training in policy analysis and memo writing and learned how science informs the legislative process. As a Fellow of the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative, I mentor junior doctoral students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and advise the director on programming and policy relevant to training and equity. These experiences have helped me refine my long-term goal of working at the intersection of science, policy, and workforce development.

Rodney Williams is a member of American Association of Immunologists, a FASEB member society.