Adam Williams ’97 is a published and award-winning cardiothoracic surgeon and researcher who is based at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is a passionate advocate for his patients and travels to Honduras each year on service trips to perform cardiac surgery in underserved communities. Although Williams didn’t plan to go into medicine while he was at Gulliver, he learned the importance of dedication, discipline, and commitment to working hard. These values laid the foundation for his demanding and rewarding career. Read on to learn more about his current work and the Gulliver teachers who positively impacted his life.
What have you been up to since graduating from Gulliver?
I am a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. About 12 years ago I came to Duke for fellowship training in cardiothoracic surgery after completing medical school and general surgery residency at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. After completing fellowship in 2017, I joined the faculty in the Department of Surgery at Duke University and was recently promoted to Associate Professor of Surgery.
My practice focuses on complex aortic repairs, minimally invasive valve replacement and repair, coronary bypass surgery, and transcatheter therapies for structural heart disease. I have developed novel hybrid repair techniques for patients that have developed complications of myocardial infarction. I also enjoy mentoring and training the next generation of cardiothoracic surgery residents.
My research focuses on developing stem cell and gene therapies to treat heart disease. I have a robust translational research lab investigating novel cell and gene therapies to regenerate new heart muscle and grow new blood vessels. My work collaborates with industry partners alongside basic scientists at Duke University. I am currently the Principal Investigator for gene therapy trial using catheter-based delivery of an non-active virus that stimulates the heart to regrow new blood vessels after suffering a heart attack. I was the winner of the prestigious American Heart Association’s Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award and manuscript of the year from the journal Circulation: Research for my research in stem cell therapy for heart disease. I have multiple grants supporting my work and have published in prestigious journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, Journal of the American Medical Association, and Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Global cardiac surgery is a passion of mine and each year I lead a team to Honduras to perform cardiac surgery in underserved patients. Rheumatic heart disease is endemic in third world countries and leads to long-term damage to heart valves. Each year I travel to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to perform valve replacements in patients and is one of the most rewarding weeks of the year for me.
What inspired you to pursue your current career, and how has your path evolved along the way?
My father is a heart surgeon so I have been around the field my entire life. Growing up I was not initially planning to pursue medicine. In high school at Gulliver Prep and as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt I was more interested in finance and engineering. I switched career paths at the end of college when I developed a passion for helping others and making a difference in people’s lives. I have always loved using my hands to fix things and the technical aspect of surgery was a perfect fit for me.
Was there something you learned at Gulliver—inside or outside the classroom—that’s made an impact on your life?
I loved my years at Gulliver Academy and Prep, from 4th grade when I moved to Miami through graduation in 12th grade. My teachers at Gulliver always pushed me academically and made me realize the importance of dedication, discipline, and commitment to working as hard as you can.
Are there any Gulliver teachers or coaches you credit as having positively influenced you?
I was always a strong Math and Science student, but English was a challenge for me. I was lucky to have two Gulliver English teachers that supported and inspired me. My 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. Gonzalez, had a such a positive and deep impact on me. Her dedication to students was unmatched and she always made sure you were engaged and successful. In high school, Mr. Shapiro found a way to make English class fun, interactive, and highly educational. Outside of the class, I played lacrosse and our team went to the State Championships my senior year. Our coach was the legendary Jim DeLang, who taught me how to be a team player and made lacrosse a highlight of my time at Gulliver Prep. I developed lifelong friendships with my lacrosse teammates.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at Gulliver Prep?
Pep rallies in the gym were always a fun time, especially our senior year homecoming pep rally and senior skit.
What has been one of your proudest moments?
My proudest moment is getting married to Mollie Flynn and being blessed with two incredible children, Parker (14) and Lily (13). We enjoy traveling, fitness, skiing, anything outdoors, and live concerts.
As a Gulliver alum, what advice would you give to current students?
Find something you are passionate about and go for it. Dream big, work hard, and never give up!
What clubs, sports, or extracurriculars were you involved in at Gulliver Prep, and how did they influence you?
I was an avid lacrosse player and some of my best memories at Gulliver were on the field with my teammates. I developed life-long friendships with my Gulliver teammates. Not all of life will be filled with wins and it is important to learn how to deal and grow from losses.
What’s something about you that most of your classmates might be surprised to learn?
I went through several 7.0 earthquakes when I lived in California, made it through Hurricane Andrew the first year I moved to Miami, survived an F4 tornado in Nashville, TN during my freshman year at Vanderbilt University, and was stuck in deep in the mountains for 4 days with my sister Bryn (‘04) during the largest blizzard in Colorado history.
How do you stay connected with fellow Gulliver Prep alumni or the school community?
When I come to Miami for the holidays to visit my family, I routinely get together for dinner with old Gulliver friends. My sister Byrn has two children at Gulliver Academy, Ryker (5th Grade) and Austen (3rd Grade), that keep me up to date on Gulliver. This summer my wife and I traveled to London with one of my best Gulliver friends, Phil Jacobson (’96) and his wife, to attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
