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General Internal Medicine
JoniWilliams_Academic Profile

Joni S. Williams, MD, MPH

Milwaukee Community Chair in Health Equity Research; Director, Center for Advancing Population Science (CAPS); Associate Professor

Locations

  • General Internal Medicine

Contact Information

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina Center for Health Disparities Research, Charleston, SC, 2008-2014
MD, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 2012
MPH with concentration in Community Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 1998

Biography

Joni S. Williams, MD, MPH, is an associate professor of medicine, section chief for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and section chief for research in the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) within the Division of General Internal Medicine. She is also director of the Center for Advancing Population Science (CAPS) and the Milwaukee Community Chair in Health Equity Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Williams’ research focuses on social-medical integration at the intersections of race, socioeconomic status, sex and gender, and geographic location to reduce health inequities associated with sociocultural and structural determinants of health. Her research is driven by and grounded in principles of health equity, and she is particularly passionate about social justice in health and health promotion. She conducts community-based research to address social needs, mitigate social risks, and reduce barriers to chronic disease self-management, with a focus on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors, to improve health outcomes among socially disadvantaged populations and historically marginalized, underserved, and under-resourced communities and families. Within CAPS, Dr. Williams leads the Advancing Research for Community Health Equity (ARCHE) team composed of junior investigators, staff, and learners in health equity research, clinical trials study design and implementation, observational research, and community engagement and recruitment. Dr. Williams has been significantly involved in medical student, graduate and postdoctoral education, including serving as a mentor for more than 50 learners.

Grants & Scholarship
Dr. Williams’ scholarly work is supported by multiple grants from the Advancing Healthier Wisconsin Endowment as principal investigator and co-investigator; principal investigator on NIH R01, R21, and U54 grants; and co-investigator on multiple NIH R01 and R21 grants. Dr. Williams has participated in more than 100 invited lectures, workshops and presentations, locally, nationally, and internationally. Her bibliography includes more than 260 abstracts, articles and book chapters.

Editorship & Service
Dr. Williams is an active member of the Health Equity Commission for the Society of General Internal Medicine. She also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of General Internal Medicine (where she is the Inaugural DEI Advocate) and the American Journal of Medicine Open, and as a reviewer for several journals including Primary Care Diabetes, Diversity and Inclusion Research, and the International Journal of Health Policy and Management. She also serves as chair of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Study Section for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Community Partnerships

  • Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)
  • Greater Galilee Baptist Church and Community Development Corporation
  • City on a Hill
  • Kenosha Community Health Center
  • Outreach Community Health Centers

Honors and Awards

MCW Outstanding Medical Student Teacher (2020)
Researcher of the Year from the Division of General Internal Medicine at MCW (2020)
PowHer Leadership Honoree (2023)
MCW President’s Inclusive Excellence Award (2023)

Research Interests

Dr. Williams' Publications

Publications

Publications of Joni Williams MD, MPH from the Faculty Collaboration Database

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