GALVESTON, Texas (Aug. 27, 2025) — The University of Texas Medical Branch has promoted William (Bill) K. Russell, PhD, to Full Professor of Research in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, recognizing his record of building shared research tools and services that speed discovery for hundreds of laboratories across Texas.
Russell directs UTMB’s Mass Spectrometry Facility and leads Mass Spectrometry & Core Services within the Biomolecular Resource Facility. His teams operate millions of dollars worth of highly specialized instruments that help research groups measure proteins and other small molecules—work that shortens the path from idea to discovery. The impact of these devices accelerates research far beyond the UTMB campus. Russell directs the UT System Proteomics Network, which links UT institutions so scientists can access advanced protein-measurement technologies.
"I'm excited to continue to help accelerate biological research across Galveston Island, and Texas as a whole", said Russell. "We are entering a remarkable age of data and discovery." Under his leadership, UTMB has assembled a modern instrument lineup that supports both routine and cutting-edge studies. Russell has also secured major state support to expand these services. In 2019, he won a Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas grant to establish a targeted protein-and-molecule analysis core at UTMB. This past May, CPRIT approved another Core Facility Support Award—about $2 million—to further grow these capabilities.
“Today’s scientific instruments are so complex that even very experienced researchers can’t operate them on their own,” said Erez Lieberman Aiden, PhD, chair of UTMB’s Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. “Bill Russell serves as a human Rosetta Stone, enabling scientists across the state to fully comprehend what is possible.”