Morris recommended her to his acquaintance Doug Coster, the first professor of ophthalmology at Flinders University, who hired her to work there as a research fellow in 1981.
[9] The registry is a database that collects information on human corneal transplants from Australian-based eye banks to improve patient outcomes and clinical practice.
[11] Williams has provided expert commentary in the past on ophthalmological advances internationally, particularly on research suggesting that transplants may require gender separation, stating that "In Australia, we do not see—have never seen—an influence of gender matching or mismatching on corneal graft outcome,”[12] indicating that this finding could be contributed to by the methodology used in the United Kingdom to match donors and patients.
[12] In 2017, Williams was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for "eminent service to medical science in the field of ophthalmology through the research and development of corneal transplantation, as an academic and mentor, and as a supporter of young women scientists".
[8] Her research focuses on gene therapy of donor corneas to self produce proteins that assist in reducing transplant rejection in animal models.