Email: beckyw@berkeley.edu

Phone: (510) 643-5448

Web page: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~beckyw/

Her research: "I am interested in predator-prey interactions and chemical ecology. Natural selection can be particularly powerful in these life-or-death struggles, and I am fascinated by the variety of venoms and poisons that have evolved, as well as by the corresponding physiological and behavioral counter-adaptations to this wicked weaponry."

Her study organisms: "I study the blue-ring octopus and its mantis shrimp predators and prey, as well as a poisonous salamander common on the California coast and its toxin-resistant garter snake predator. Both the salamander and the octopus have the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX)."

On working at Berkeley: The TTX connection brought Becky "from terrestrial work with the snakes and salamanders to the big leap into marine biology with the Caldwell lab at Berkeley — a colossal change, but one which I am thoroughly enjoying!"

Williams B.L., and R.L. Caldwell. 2009. Intra-organismal distribution of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue-ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena fasciata and H. lunulata). Toxicon. 54:345-353.  

Williams, B. L. and R. L. Caldwell. 2009. Intra-organismal distribution of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue-ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena fasciata and H. lunulata). Toxicon, 54: 345-353.

Williams, B. L. and R. L. Caldwell. 2009. Intra-organismal distribution of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue-ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena fasciata and H. lunulata). Toxicon, 54: 345-353.

Brodie, E. D., III, Feldman, C. R., Hanifin, C. T., Motychak, J. E., Mulcahy, D. G., Williams, B. L., and E. D. Brodie, Jr. 2005. Evolutionary response of predators to dangerous prey: parallel arms races between garter snakes and newts involving tetrodotoxin as the phenotypic interface of coevolution. Journal of Chemical Ecology 31(2):343-355.

Mendelson III, J. R., Williams, B. L., Sheil, C. A. and D. G. Mulcahy. 2005. Systematics of the Bufo coccifer complex (Anura: Bufonidae) of Mesoamerica. Scientific Papers of the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas 38:1-27.

Williams, B. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie, III. 2004. A resistant predator and its toxic prey: persistence of newt toxin leads to poisonous (not venomous) snakes. Journal of Chemical Ecology 30(10):1901-1919.

Setser, K., Mulcahy, D. G., and B.L. Williams. 2003. Lampropeltis triangulum (Milk Snake) Habitat. Herpetological Review 34(2):150.

Williams, B. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie, III. 2003. Coevolution of deadly toxins and predator resistance: Self-assessment of resistance by garter snakes leads to behavioral rejection of toxic newt prey. Herpetologica 59(2):155-163.