although williams enlisted as a nurse, she worked exclusively in the laboratory as a bacteriologist, the only australian woman to serve in such a capacity. working alongside dr charles james martin, director of the lister institute, she performed ground-breaking work on dysentery, and quickly became known as an expert in this field. she continued to work with martin throughout the war, on a variety of infectious diseases, including meningitis, streptococci, staphylococci, gas gangrene, and epidemic influenza.