William Walker, PhD

Research Interests

Dr. Walker's lab examines the mechanisms by which tumors alter the brain and how the CNS can alter tumor development. My lab is particularly interested in applying well defined neuroscience concepts (e.g., circadian rhythms and chronotherapeutics) to cancer biology to improve cancer treatment and quality of life in cancer survivors. Current projects within the lab include: (1) examining the effects of chrono-chemotherapy treatment for brain metastases of breast cancer, (2) investigating whether chronotherapeutic treatment of cancers can improve cancer survivors’ quality of life, and (3) examining the effects of timed CAR T-cell administration on anti-tumor efficacy in solid tumors.

Grants and Research

Ongoing Support

• R00 NCI, Pathway to Independence, R00CA273424, PI: Walker 2024–2027 Circadian Rhythms in Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and Increased Efficacy of Chemotherapy for Brain Metastases
• P20 NIGMS, Tumor Microenvironment CoBRE Research Project Leader, P20GM121322, PI: Walker 2026-2028. Circadian Influences on Immunotherapeutic Response in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases

Completed Support

• P20 NIGMS, Tumor Microenvironment CoBRE Pilot, P20GM121322, PI: Walker 2025-2026. Circadian Influences on Immunotherapeutic Response in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases
• K99 NCI, Pathway to Independence, K99CA273424, PI: Walker 2023–2024. Circadian Rhythms in Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and Increased Efficacy of Chemotherapy for Brain Metastases

Publications

Google Scholar

[2026]

• Kisamore CO, Kisamore CA, Boyd JA, Owolabi PJ, Kadri DB, Mizener AD, Pistilli EE, & Walker II WH, (2026). Chronotherapeutic Administration of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Reduces Cancer-Related Fatigue-Like Behavior. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101262

[2025]

• Elliott BD, Kisamore CO, Nelson RJ, DeVries AC & Walker II WH, (2025). Circadian influences on central nervous system barriers and the glymphatic system. Frontiers in Physiology doi:10.3389/fphys.2025.1622236 PMID: 40626046

[2024]

• Kisamore CO, Kisamore CA, & Walker II WH, (2024). Circadian rhythm disruption in cancer survivors: from oncogenesis to quality of life. Cancer Medicine doi: 10.1002/cam4.70353 PMID: 39463009
• Liu JA, Walker II WH, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Bumgarner JR, Zhang N, Walton JC, Meares GP, DeVries AC, and Nelson RJ (2024). Dim light at night shifts microglia to a pro-inflammatory state after cerebral ischemia, altering stroke outcome in mice. Experimental Neurology doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114796 PMID: 38677449
• Liu JA, Bumgarner JR, Walker II WH, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, and Nelson RJ (2024). Chronic phase advances reduces recognition memory and increases vascular cognitive dementia-like impairments in aged mice. Scientific Reports doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-57511-2 PMID: 38565934
• Walker II WH, Liu JA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, May LE, Kisamore, CO, Brundage KM, Nelson RJ and DeVries AC (2024). Social enrichment alters the response of brain leukocytes to chemotherapy and tumor development in aged mice. Heliyon doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23366 PMID: 38148808
• Walton JC*, Walker II WH*, Nelson RJ, and DeVries AC (2024). Time of day bias for biological sampling in studies of mammary cancer. Scientific Reports doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50785-y PMID: 38191908
  *Authors contributed equally to the work

[2023]

• Kisamore CO, Elliott BD, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ, Walker II WH (2023) Chronotherapeutics for Solid Tumors. Pharmaceutics doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082023 PMID: 37631237
• Bumgarner JR, Walker II WH, Quintana, DD, White RC, Richmond AA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Liu JL, Becker-Krail DD, Walton JC, Simpkins JW, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ (2023) Acute exposure to artificial light at night alters hippocampal vascular structure in mice. iScience doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106996 PMID: 37534143

[2022]

• Liu J, Walton JC, Bumgarner JR, Walker II WH, Meléndez-Fernández OH, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ (2022) Chronic exposure to dim light at night disrupts cell-mediated immune response and decreases longevity in aged female mice. Chronobiology International doi:10.1080/07420528.2022.2135442 PMID: 36268694
• Nelson RJ, Bumgarner JR, Liu J, Love J, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Becker-Krail D, Walker II WH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Prendergast BJ (2022) Time of Day as a Critical Variable in Biology. BMC Biology doi: 10.1186/s12915-022-01333-z PMID: 35705939
• Becker-Krail D, Walker II WH, & Nelson RJ (2022). The Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens as Circadian Oscillators: Implications for Drug Abuse and Substance Use Disorders. Frontiers in Physiology doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.886704 PMID: 35574492

[2021]

• Walker II WH, Sprowls SA, Bumgarner JR, Liu JA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, Lockman PR, DeVries AC, & Nelson RJ (2021). Circadian Influences on Chemotherapy Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Brain Metastases of Breast Cancer. Frontiers in Oncology doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.752331 PMID: 34956876.
• Walker II WH, Kaper AL, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Bumgarner JR, Liu JA, Walton JC, DeVries AC, & Nelson RJ (2021). Time-Restricted Feeding Alters the Efficiency of Mammary Tumor Growth. Chronobiology International doi: 10.1080/07420528.2021.2011306 PMID: 34894935.
• Walker II WH, Bumgarner JR, Becker-Krail DD, May LE, Liu JA, & Nelson RJ (2021). Light at Night Disrupts Biological Clocks, Calendars, and Immune Function. Seminars in Immunopathology doi: 10.1007/s00281-021-00899-0 PMID: 34731290
• Walker II WH, Kvadas RM, May LE, Liu JA, Bumgarner JR, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Dauchy RT, Blask DE, & Nelson RJ (2021). Artificial Light at Night Reduces Anxiety-Like Behavior in Female Mice with Exacerbated Mammary Tumor Growth. Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers13194860 PMID: 34638343
• Bumgarner JR, Walker II WH, & Nelson RJ (2021). Circadian Rhythms and Pain. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.004 PMID:34375675
• *Nelson RJ, Bumgarner JR, Walker II WH, & DeVries AC (2021). Time-of-Day as a Critical Biological Variable. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.017 PMID: 34052279 (Featured in Scientific American)
  *Recommended in Faculty of 1000 Physiology
• *Walton JC, Walker II WH, Bumgarner JR, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Liu JA,Hughes HL, Kaper AL, & Nelson RJ (2021). Circadian Variation in Efficacy of Medications. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2073 PMID: 33025623
  *Recommended in Faculty of 1000 Pharmacology & Drug Discovery

BOOK CHAPTERS

• Walker II WH & Nelson RJ (2023). Disruptions of circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles in neurologic disorders. In Sleep and Clocks in Aging and Longevity. Springer Nature doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-22468-3_22
• Walker II WH, Becker-Krail D, Meléndez-Fernández OH, & Nelson RJ (2023). Biological Clocks and Immune Function. In Neuroendocrine-Immune System Interactions. Springer Nature doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-21358-8_11
• Walker II WH, Walton JC, & Nelson RJ (2021). Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Mental Health. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology (Vol. 179, pp. 259-270). Elsevier doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-819975- 6.00016-9 PMID: 34225967
• Walker II WH & DeVries AC. (2021). Regulating Systems in Neuroimmunology. Oxford. Research Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.013.6