Susan Schneider Williams

Susan Schneider Williams is an artist and advocate specializing in brain health awareness and fine art. A graduate of California College of the Arts, Schneider Williams worked as a graphic designer for 25 years, focusing on identity design, corporate branding, and marketing. For 15 years, she led her own company, Critical Eye Design, before transitioning to Susan Schneider Fine Art, where she pursued painting full time.

Schneider Williams has mentored art students, taught painting, and curated exhibitions for fellow artists. Her work has been displayed in numerous group and solo shows, and her paintings are held in private collections worldwide. She draws inspiration from the Impressionists, Hudson River School artists, and John Singer Sargent.

Following the death of her husband, Robin Williams, from Lewy body disease (LBD), Schneider Williams became an advocate for LBD and brain disease research. She authored the editorial, “The terrorist inside my husband’s brain,” for the American Academy of Neurology’s Neurology Journal. The article became the most read in the journal’s history and inspired the Emmy-nominated documentary “Robin’s Wish,” in which she appears as a central voice for LBD awareness. She received the American Brain Foundation’s Commitment to Cures Award in recognition of her advocacy.

Schneider Williams has spoken at academic institutions, medical centers, neurology and psychiatry conferences, and brain health and caregiving events. She has lobbied in Washington, DC, with organizations such as the American Academy of Neurology and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for improved diagnostics, increased funding, and support for researchers and clinicians. She contributed to the establishment of the Lewy Body Dementia Fund, which supports research and public education initiatives, and serves on the Ambassador’s Council at the American Brain Foundation. Schneider Williams is a keynote speaker on neuroscience, mental health, diagnostic innovation, and the caregiver experience.

Schneider Williams continues to divide her time between art and advocacy, integrating creative insight and lived experience into her work and public engagements.