Dr Williams moved to Cambridge in August 2013 to take up the post of Consultant Cardiologist in Echocardiography at Papworth Hospital, as well as to develop a Specialist Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy service. She also works as part of a multidisciplinary team involved in the management of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.
Dr Williams completed her medical training at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her subspecialty Cardiology training took place on the West Midlands Rotation, at which time she also completed a PhD studying the effects of Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy on cardiac performance in patients with advanced heart failure. Upon completion of her registrar training she took up the position of E.D.Wigle Fellow in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Research at the Toronto General Hospital in Toronto, Canada. During this period her fellowship involved training in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Advanced Echocardiography, and Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Cardiac Diseases
Cardiac Sarcoidosis
Cardiac involvement in neuromuscular conditions
Diagnostic cardiac imaging
- 3D echocardiography
- Transoesophageal echocardiography
- Pharmacological and exercise echocardiography
- Echocardiography in Grown Up Congenital Heart Disease
- Advanced imaging for assessment of myocardial mechanics using strain and deformation analysis on both echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.
- Assessment of novel parameters to assess left atrial function and relate this to the risk of development of atrial fibrillation in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
- Assessment of novel markers of prognosis and risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Optimal screening for the detection of cardiac involvement in patients with sarcoidosis
- MB BCh (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa – 1999)
- MRCP (Royal College of Physicians of London – 2003)
- PhD (University of Birmingham – 2010)
- Dr E.D. Wigle Fellow in Clinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Research (Toronto General Hospital – 2010-2013)
- Fellow in Echocardiography (Toronto General Hospital – 2010-2013)
- FRCP (Royal College of Physicians of London – 2017)
General Medical Council
Royal College of Physicians of London
British Cardiovascular Society
British Society of Echocardiography
American Society of Echocardiography
European Society of Cardiology
American Heart Association
European Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases
European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI)
British Medical Association
Original Articles
Shimron M, Williams L, Hazanov Y, et al. Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of patients in sinus rhythm, normal left ventricular function, and indeterminate diastolic function. Echocardiography. 2018 (Epub).
Sullivan TP, Moore JE, Klein AA, Jenkins DP, Williams LK, Roscoe A, Tsang W. Evaluation of the Clinical Utility of Transesophageal Echocardiography and Invasive Monitoring to Assess Right Ventricular Function During and After Pulmonary Endarterectomy. Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. 2017 (ePub).
Williams LK, Forero JF, Popovic ZB, et al. Patterns of CMR measured longitudinal strain and its association with late gadolinium enhancement in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and its mimics. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2017;19:61
Mathew T, Williams L, Navaratnam G, et al on behalf of the British Society of Echocardiography Education Committee. Diagnosis and assessment of dilated cardiomyopathy: a guideline protocol from the British Society of Echocardiography. Echo Res Pract. 2017 June 1;4(2):G1-G13.
Axell RG, White PA, Giblett JP, Williams L, Rana BS, Klein A, O’Sullivan M, Davies WR, Densem CG, Hoole SP. Rapid Pacing Induced Right Ventricular Dysfunction is Evident after Balloon Expandable Trans-femoral Aortic Valve Replacement. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2017;69 (7):903-904.
Calleja AM, Rakowski H, Williams LK, et al. Left atrial and ventricular systolic and diastolic myocardial mechanics in patients with end-stage renal disease. Echocardiography. 2016 Oct;33(10):1495-1503.
Carasso S, Williams LK, Hazanov Y, et al. Comparison of echocardiographic parameters between pre-clinical and clinical advanced diastolic dysfunction patients. Int J Cardiol. 2016 Dec 1; 224:165-169.
Williams LK, Chan RH, Carasso S, Durand M, Misurka J, Crean AM, Ralph-Edwards A, Gruner C, Woo A, Lesser JR, Maron BJ, Maron MS, Rakowski H. Effect of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction on Left Atrial Mechanics in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015:481245.
Beadle RM, Williams LK, Kuehl M, Bowater S, Abozguia K, Leyva F, Yousef Z,Wagenmakers AJ, Thies F, Horowitz J, Frenneaux MP. Improvement in cardiac energetics by perhexiline in heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. JACC Heart Fail. 2015 Mar 3(3):202-11.
Hanneman K, Crean AM, Williams L, Moshonov H, James S, Jiménez-Juan L, Gruner C, Sparrow P, Rakowski H, Nguyen ET. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Predict Major Adverse Events in Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. J Thorac Imaging. 2014 Oct 13. (Epub ahead of print).
Chan W, Williams L, Kotowycz MA, Woo A, Rakowski H, Schwartz L, Overgaard CB. Angiographic and echocardiographic correlates of suitable septal perforators for alcohol septal ablation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Can J Cardiol. 2014 Aug;30(8):912-9.
Li Q, Gruner C, Chan RH, Care M, Siminovitch K, Williams L, Woo A, Rakowski H. Genotype-positive status in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is associated with higher rates of heart failure events. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2014 Aug;7(4):416-22.
Gruner C, Chan RH, Crean A, Rakowski H, Rowin EJ, Care M, Deva D, Williams L, Appelbaum E, Gibson CM, Lesser JR, Haas TS, Udelson JE, Manning WJ, Siminovitch K, Ralph-Edwards AC, Rastegar H, Maron BJ, Maron MS. Significance of left ventricular apical-basal muscle bundle identified by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Eur Heart J 2014; 35(39):2706-2713.
Williams L, Urbano-Moral J, Rowin E, Jamorski M, Bruchal-Garbicz B, Carasso S, Pandian N, Maron M, Rakowski H. Velocity Vector Imaging in the measurement of left ventricular myocardial mechanics on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance imaging: Correlations with echocardiographically-derived strain values. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2013; 26(10):1153-1162.
Roifman I, Paul G, Zia M, Williams L, Watkins S, Wijeysundera H, Crean A, Strauss B, Dick A, Wright G, Connelly K. The effect of percutaneous coronary intervention of chronically totally occluded coronary arteries on left ventricular global and regional systolic function. Can J Cardiol 2013: 29(11):1436-1442.
Moravsky G, Bruchal-Garbicz B, Jamorski M, Ralph-Edwards A, Gruner C, Williams L, Woo A, Yang H, Laczay B, Rakowski H, Carasso S. Myocardial mechanical remodelling after septal myectomy for severe obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2013; 26(8):893-900.
Deva DP, Williams L, Care M, Moshonov H, Wintersperger B, Rakowski H, Crean AM. Deep basal inferoseptal crypts occur more commonly in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with disease-causing myofilament mutations. Radiology 2013; 269(1):68-76.
Moravsky G, Ofek E, Rakowski H, Butany J, Williams L, Ralph-Edwards A, Wintersperger B, Crean A. Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Accurate Reflection of Histopathological Findings by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2013; 6(5):587-596.
Gruner C, Ivanov J, Care M, Williams L, Moravsky G, Yang H, Laczay B, Siminovitch K, Woo A, Rakowski H. The Toronto HCM genotype score for prediction of a positive genotype in Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Circ Cardiovasc Genetics 2013; 6:19-26.
Mahadevan G, Dwivedi G, Williams LK, Steeds RP, and Frenneaux MP. Epidemiology and diagnosis of heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction: rationale and design of the study. Eur J Heart Fail 2012; 14:106-112.
Howell NJ, Ashrafian H, Drury NE, Ranasinghe AM, Contractor H, Isackson H, Calvert M, Williams LK, Freemantle N, Quinn DW, Green D, Frenneaux M, Bonser RS, Mascaro JG, Graham TR, Rooney SJ, Wilson IC, Pagano D. Glucose-insulin-potassium reduces the Incidence of low cardiac output episodes after aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy: results from the Hypertrophy, Insulin, Glucose, and Electrolytes (HINGE) trial. Circulation 2011; 123(2):170-177.
Reviewed/Editorial/Letters
Harris C, Meek D, Gilligan D, Williams L, Solli P, Rintoul R. Assessment and Optimisation of Lung Cancer Patients for Treatment with Curative Intent. Clinical Oncology 2016;28(11):682-694.
Weissler-Snir A, Adler A, Williams L, et al. Prevention of sudden death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: bridging the gaps in knowledge. European Heart Journal 2017;38(22):1728–1737.
Williams LK, Gruner CH, Rakowski H. The role of echocardiography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2015 Feb 17(2):6.
Williams L and Rakowski H. Surgical Myectomy for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy: The Cut That Heals. Circulation 2013; 128(3):193-197.
Williams L and Rakowski H. Predicting the future in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: From histopathology to flow to function. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2012; 25:190-193.
Williams L, Gruner C, and Rakowski H. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Do we need to stand to be counted. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2011; 24:83-85.
Beadle R, Williams L, and Lim HS. Drug-implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interactions. Expert Rev. Cardiovasc. Ther. 2010; 8(9):1267-1273.
Beadle R and Williams L. Device Therapy in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Expert Rev. Cardiovasc.Ther. 2010; 8(12):1767-75.
Williams L, Frenneaux M, and Steeds RP. Echocardiography in hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy: Diagnosis, prognosis, and role in management. Eur J Echo 2009; 10(8):iii9-14.
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Is it primarily tricuspid regurgitation, constriction or restriction? Heart. 2009; 95(17):1380-1381.
Ashrafian H, Williams L, and Frenneaux M. The pathophysiology of heart failure: a tale of two Old Paradigms revisited. Clin Med. 2008; 8(2):192-197.
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Assessment of right ventricular function.
Heart. 2008; 94(4):404-5.
Williams L and M Frenneaux. Syncope in HCM: mechanisms and consequences for treatment. Europace. 2007; 9:817-22.
Frenneaux M and Williams L. Ventricular-arterial and ventricular-ventricular interactions and their relevance to diastolic filling. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2007; 49(4):252-262.
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Diastolic Ventricular Interaction: Physiology to Clinical Practice. Nature CMCP 2006 3:368-76.
Book Chapters
Li, Q, Williams L, and Rakowski H. Natural History of Untreated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Chapter IV): In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Editor Srihari S. Naidu et al (In Press).
Li, Q, Williams L, and Rakowski H. Pathophysiology and Variants of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Chapter 86): In Dynamic Echocardiography, 2nd Edition (In Press).
Gruner C, Williams L, and Rakowski H. Differential from secondary conditions (conditions mimicking HCM) (Chapter 88): In Dynamic Echocardiography, 2nd Edition (In Press).
Williams L and Rakowski H. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: In Textbook of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (ECOSIAC) (2013)
Williams L, Gruner C, Woo A, Rakowski H. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: In Practice of Clinical Echocardiography, 4th Edition, Catherine Otto. (2012)
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Oxford Desk Reference (2012)
Williams L, MacFadyen R and Lip G. Atrial fibrillation in heart failure. Heart Failure in Clinical Practice (2011)
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. In Conn’s Current Therapy 2006 Edition.
Williams L and Frenneaux M. Mechanisms of Heart Failure. Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine 4th Ed 2005.
