Keith L. Williams, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Office: 224 Pryale Hall 
Phone: 248-370-2308 
Fax: 248-370-4612 
[email protected] 

Major Field 
Biopsychology, Physiological Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Behaviorism 

Degrees 
Ph.D., Biopsychology, University of Michigan, 1998 
B.A., Psychology, New Mexico State University, 1994 

Research Interests 
Alcoholism and drug addiction continue to plague society despite recent progress in the treatment of these problems and the understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms. Research has shown that behavioral and biological factors influence drug consumption. My focus is on bridging the gap between the behavioral and biological components that modulate drug-taking behavior and addiction. My interests include the pharmacological and behavioral mechanisms of drug reinforcement and craving, drug discriminative stimulus properties, hormonal influences on drug self-administration, and contribution of food intake mechanisms on drug consumption. 

Publications 

Williams KL, Parikh UK, Doyle SM, Meyer L (2022). Effect of Intermittent Access to Alcohol Mixed in Energy Drink during Adolescence on Alcohol Self-Administration, Anxiety, and Memory during Adulthood in Rats. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 46: 1423-1432.

Williams KL, Nickel MM, Bielak JT (2018). Oral Binge-Like Ethanol Pre-Exposure During Adolescence Attenuates Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Aversion in Rats. Alcohol & Alcoholism 53 (5): 518-525.

Williams KL, Nickel MM, Bielak JT (2016). Baclofen Blocks Yohimbine-Induced Increases in Ethanol-Reinforced Responding in Rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 144: 20-25.

McGuire MC, Williams KL , Welling LLM, Vonk J (2015). Cognitive Bias in Rats is Not Influenced by Oxytocin, Frontiers in Psychology 6: 1306.

Williams KL , Harding KM (2014). Repeated Alcohol Extinction Sessions in Conjunction with MK-801, but not Yohimbine or Propranolol, Reduces Subsequent Alcohol Cue-Induced Responding in Rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 116: 16-24

Williams KL , Broadbridge CL (2009). Effect of Naltrexone on Ethanol Self-Administration in Rats: Potency Difference Between Intraperitoneal and Subcutaneous Injection. Alcohol 43: 119-126. 

Williams KL , Schimmel JS (2008). Effect of Naltrexone During Extinction of Alcohol Reinforced Responding and During Repeated Cue-Conditioned Reinstatement Sessions in a Cue Exposure Style Treatment. Alcohol 42: 553-563.

Williams KL (2007). Development of Naltrexone Supersensitivity During Food-Maintained Responding Enhances Naltrexone’s Ability to Reduce Ethanol-Maintained Responding. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31: 39-47. 

Williams KL, Broadbear JH, Woods JH (2004). Non-contingent and Response-contingent Intravenous Ethanol Attenuates the Effect of Naltrexone on Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Adrenal Activity in Rhesus Monkeys. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 28: 566-571. 

Williams KL, Ko MC, Woods JH (2003). Effect of Opioid Receptor-Selective Antagonists on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Activity in Rhesus Monkeys. Psychoneuroendocrinology 28: 513-528. 

Williams KL, Kane EC, Woods JH (2001). Interaction of Morphine and Naltrexone on Oral Ethanol Self-Administration in Rhesus Monkeys. Behavioral Pharmacology 12: 325-333. 

Thompson LA, Williams K, L’Esperance P, Cornelius J. (2001). Context-dependent memory under stressful conditions: The case of skydiving. Human Factors 43: 611-619. 

Williams KL, Woods JH (2000). A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Concurrent Ethanol- and Water-Reinforced Responding in Different Preference Conditions. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 24: 980-986. 

Williams KL, Woods JH (1999). Naltrexone Reduces Ethanol- and/or Water-Reinforced Responding in Rhesus Monkeys: Effect Depends upon Ethanol Concentration. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research. Alcoholism Clinical Experimental Research 23: 1462-1467. 

Williams KL, Pakarinen ED, Woods JH (1999). Quadazocine Decreases Reinforced-Responding for Oral Ethanol, Sucrose, and Phencyclidine: Comparison to Naltrexone Effects. Psychopharmacology 144: 316-322. 

Williams KL, Woods JH (1999). Conditioned Effects Produced by Naltrexone Doses that Reduce Ethanol-Reinforced Responding in Rhesus Monkeys. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 23: 708-715. 

Pakarinen ED, Williams KL, Woods JH (1999). Food Restriction and Sex Differences on Concurrent, Oral Ethanol and Water Reinforcers in Juvenile Rhesus Monkeys. Alcohol 17: 35-40. 

Williams KL, Woods JH (1998). Oral Ethanol-Reinforced Responding in Rhesus Monkeys: Effects of Opioid Antagonists Selective for the Mu-, Kappa-, or Delta-Receptor. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 22: 1634-1639. 

Williams KL, Winger G, Pakarinen ED, Woods JH (1998). Naltrexone Reduces Ethanol- and Sucrose-Reinforced Responding in Rhesus Monkeys. Psychopharmacology 139: 53-61.

Recent Conference Presentations/Published Abstracts

Williams KL (2017). Intermittent Binge-Like Sucrose Consumption Fails to Increase Ethanol Self-Administration Following Sucrose-Fade. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research, 41 S1: 37A.

Williams KL (2015) Baclofen Blocks Yohimbine-Induced Increases in Ethanol-Reinforced Responding at Small Doses. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 39 S1: 111A

Williams KL and Toplanaj (2013) Intermittent Alcohol Access May Not Affect Operant Responding for Ethanol or Ability of Kappa-Agonists to Reduce Ethanol-Reinforced Responding in Rats. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 37: 121A

Williams KL and Harding KM (2011) The influence of Adrenergic Manipulation with Yohimbine and Propranolol on the Effects of Repeated Ethanol Cue-Exposure Sessions in Rats. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 35: 184A

Williams KL, Hamann J, Hyska, M, LeVesseur C (2010) Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Aversion in Adult Sprague-Dawley Rats is Attenuated by Binge-like Ethanol Access During Adolescence. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 34: 36A

Williams KL and Broadbridge CL (2008) Potency of Naltrexone to Reduce Ethanol Self-Administration in Rats is Greater for Subcutaneous Injection Versus Intraperitoneal Injection. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 32: 164A

Williams KL (2007) The Effect of Naltrexone in Conjunction with Repeated Ethanol Cue Exposure on Subsequent Reinstatement of Responding. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 31: 86A

Williams KL (2006) Naltrexone Supersensitivity During Ethanol-Reinforced Responding in Rats. Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research 30: 136A