James Collins (Boston University) - Biography

Biography

Collins received a bachelor's degree in Physics (summa cum laude; class valedictorian) from the College of the Holy Cross in 1987 and a doctorate in Medical Engineering from the University of Oxford in 1990. From 1987 to 1990, he was a Rhodes Scholar. Since 1990, he has been a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. Currently, Collins is a William F. Warren Distinguished Professor, a University Professor, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Co-Director of the Center for BioDynamics at Boston University. He is also a core founding faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and a Visiting Professor in the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School.

Collins' scientific accomplishments have been recognized by numerous awards, including the NIH Director's Pioneer Award, the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award in Aging, the inaugural Anthony J. Drexel $100,000 Exceptional Achievement Award, the Lagrange Prize from the CRT Foundation in Italy, and being selected for Technology Review's inaugural TR100 - 100 young innovators who will shape the future of technology - and the Scientific American 50 - the top 50 outstanding leaders in science and technology. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Institute of Physics, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. In 2003, he received a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Award", becoming the first bioengineer to receive this honor. Collins' award citation noted, "Throughout his research, Collins demonstrates a proclivity for identifying abstract principles that underlie complex biological phenomena and for using these concepts to solve concrete, practical problems.". In 2008, Collins was selected as an HHMI Investigator, becoming the first BU faculty member to be honored with this distinction. He was also honored as a Medical All-Star by the Boston Red Sox, and threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game in Fenway Park. Collins was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for "contributions to synthetic biology and engineered gene networks", as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Collins is also a gifted and committed teacher. He has won numerous teaching awards at Boston University, including the Biomedical Engineering Teacher of the Year Award, the College of Engineering Professor of the Year Award, and the Metcalf Cup and Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which is the highest teaching honor awarded by Boston University.

Collins has been involved with a number of start-up companies, and his inventions and technologies have been licensed by several biotech and medical device companies. Collins currently chairs the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of Sample6 Technologies and EnBiotix, and serves on the SAB of Joule Unlimited, Selventa, Seres Health, enEvolv, Synereca Pharmaceuticals, LifeWave Ltd, Excel Medical Ventures and PureTech Ventures. Additionally, he has served on the SAB of Mannkind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD), Codon Devices, Gene Network Sciences, Epitome Biosystems, Afferent Corp, Cellicon Biotechnologies and Bios Group Inc.

Collins ran track and cross country at Holy Cross (he was a 4:17 miler), and earned a blue playing for the varsity basketball team at the University of Oxford.