Andrew Williams

Dr. Williams completed his BMSc with an Honors Specialization in Pharmacology and Toxicology (2007) prior to obtaining his MD (2011) from The University of Western Ontario.

He has completed residencies in Anatomical Pathology (Dalhousie University, 2016) and  Forensic Pathology (University of Toronto, 2017).

He joined the Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit in Toronto as a Category A Forensic Pathologist in 2017 and is appointed as a coroner for the province of Ontario.

In 2020, he completed a post-graduate Certificate of Advanced Studies in Forensic Imaging & Virtopsy at the University of Zürich in Zürich, Switzerland.

Dr. Williams is actively involved in the postmortem cross-sectional imaging program, resident and fellow education, and workplace wellness initiatives.

Research Synopsis

My research endeavors primarily fall within three areas of special interest:

1. Advanced postmortem cross-sectional imaging and how these technologies can best be used in a reliable manner to assist with the medicolegal investigation of death
2. Postmortem toxicology and its integration into decision-making when determining the cause of death
3. Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Williams AS, Dmetrichuk JM, Kim P, Pollanen MS. Postmortem radiologic and pathologic findings in COVID-19: The Toronto experience with pre-hospitalization deaths in the community. For Sci Int. 2021 May;322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110755.

Keller AE, Ho J, Whitney R, Li SA, Williams AS, Pollanen MS, Donner EJ. Autopsy-reported cause of death in a population-based cohort of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2021 Feb;62(2):472-480. doi: 10.1111/epi.16793. Epub 2021 Jan 5. PMID: 33400291.

Bain E, Keller AE, Jordan H, Robyn W, Pollanen MS, Williams AS, Donner EJ. Drowning in epilepsy: A population-based case series. Epilepsy Res. 2018 Jun 20;145:123-126. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2018.06.010.

Williams AS, Greer W, Bethune D, Craddock K, Flowerdew G, Xu Z. ALK+ lung adenocarcinoma in never smokers and long-term ex-smokers: prevalence and detection by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Virchows Archiv. 2016 Nov;469(5):533-540. doi: 10.1007/s00428-016-2005-y.

Williams AS, Shawwa A, Merrimen J, Dakin Haché K. Expression of OCT4 and SALL4 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: an analysis of 145 consecutive cases and testicular lymphomas. Am J Surg Pathol. 2016 Jul;40(7):950-7. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000648.

Williams AS, Dakin Haché K. Recognition and discrimination of tissue marking dye color by surgical pathologists – recommendations to avoid errors in margin assessment. Am J Clin Pathol. 2014 Sep;142(3):355-61. doi: 10.1309/AJCPOXRMK15VCQTR.

Case reports

Gershon A, Little D, Ball CG, Williams AS. Fatal secondary aortoduodenal fistula diagnosed with postmortem computed tomography angiography. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2020 Sep;16(3):515-518. doi: 10.1007/s12024-020-00256-x. Epub 2020 May 11. PMID: 32394207.

MacNeil JAB, Selegean S, Williams AS. Metastatic lobular carcinoma presenting as retroperitoneal fibrosis: a rare presentation detected using post-mortem cytology. Pathology. 2020 Apr;52(3):387-390. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2019.12.004.

Williams AS, Castonguay M, Murray SK. Aortic intimal separation resulting from manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation – completing the spectrum of blunt thoracic aortic injury complicating CPR. Int J Legal Med. 2016 Nov;130(6):1581-1585. doi: 10.1007/s00414-016-1377-5.

Williams AS, Bowes MJ. Metal dust deposition in a shotgun wound associated with barrel modification. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2016 Mar;12(1):90-4. doi: 10.1007/s12024-015-9736-y.

5. Williams AS, Little D, Herath J. Sudden unexpected death as a result of primary aortoduodenal fistula identified with postmortem computed tomography. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2015 Dec;11(4):596-600. doi: 10.1007/s12024-015-9719-z.

Letters to Editor/Items of Short Correspondence

Williams AS, Bullock MJ. Spiral bodies in pulse granulomas are remnant plant vascular structures. Pathology. 2015 Oct;47(6):599-601. doi: 10.1097/PAT.0000000000000312.

Williams AS, Dakin Haché K. Variable fidelity of tissue-marking dyes in surgical pathology. Histopathology. 2014 May;64(6):896-900. doi: 10.1111/his.12328.