Shellie Nicole Williams, M.D.

Shellie Nicole Williams, MD, FAAHPM, is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, where she practices both Geriatric and Palliative medicine. Dr. Williams’ clinical focus is improving care of older adults living with dementia in under-resourced communities. She is a dedicated educator, clinician, advocate, and community-based researcher, focusing her work on addressing disparities in dementia education and care access for patients of color and their care partners. As a clinician, she provides patient-centered care for patients in all settings of care—inpatient, clinic, LTC, and home. Dr. Williams serves as lead faculty for dementia education in the GWEP program, Supporting Healthy Aging Through Resources & Education (SHARE) Network.   Dr. Williams developed and launched two innovative education and intervention models that help improve dementia education, access to care, and decision support for care.  The Dementia Resource Champions (DRC) is a training for faith leaders to identify signs of dementia within their congregations and connects the community to resources to optimize dementia evaluation, care & support in the community.  Centering our Values is a dementia care decision support & education resource for caregivers to support care choices concordant with values. She is a member of UChicago’s Diversity and Inclusion and Physician Assistance committees, former chair of the AAHPM Black Professionals, Patients & Families Forum, co-director of Cultivating Health & Aging Researchers by Integrating Science, Medicine & Aging (CHARISMA) program for underrepresented undergraduates, and a member of the selection committees for Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging and AAHPM Next Gens Scholars.  Dr. Williams is the inaugural recipient of the Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon, Dr. Richard Payne Senior Leadership Award 2022.