James J. Collins is the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering &Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, as well as a member of the Harvard- MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty. He is also a Core Founding Faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and a board member of MIT and Harvard.

Collins is one of the founders of the field of synthetic biology, and his research group is currently focused on using synthetic biology to create next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics. Professor Collins’ patented technologies have been licensed by over 25 biotech, pharma and medical device companies, and he has helped to launch a number of companies, including Synlogic (NASDAQ: SYBX).

He has received numerous awards and honors, including a Rhodes scholarship and a MacArthur “Genius” award, and he is an elected member of all three national academies – the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Collins’ paternal grandfather, Maurice Collins, was born and raised in Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, and his paternal grandmother, Helen Kiely, was born and raised in Kiskeam, County Cork. ♦