Dr. Williams is the founding Director of the PanLab for Precision Psychiatry and Translational Neuroscience. She has developed a radical new way to understand and treat mental disorders, anchored in a neuroscience-informed model for precision mental health.

In 2018, Dr. Williams launched Stanford's Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness. The Center builds on insights from the PanLab and collaborators across the Stanford campus. She also leads department-wide initiatives in precision mental health as Associate Chair of Research Strategy and as the Chair of a research incubator that harnesses the activities of major labs focused on clinical translational neuroscience. She has a joint position at the Palo Alto VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center where she is Director of education and dissemination.

Her translational programs integrate advanced neuroimaging, technology and digital innovation to transform the way we detect mental disorders, predict mental states, tailor interventions and promote wellness. Data-driven computational approaches are used to refine this transformative approach. Her experience is that a neuroscience-informed model empowers each person with an understanding of their own brain function and can reduce stigma. Her research forms the foundation of the first patented taxonomy for depression and anxiety that quantifies brain circuits for diagnostic precision and prediction. She has contributed over 250 scientific papers to the field.