CRI Funded Scientists

Joseph Collins, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

Boston Children's Hospital

Area of Research: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma

Joseph Collins, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he investigates how macrophages regulate blood stem cell quality and how these mechanisms can be leveraged to eliminate mutant stem cells in cancer. With a diverse academic background spanning mechanical engineering, bioengineering, and developmental biology, he has consistently pursued research at the intersection of engineering and biology. His doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania identified mechanotransducive pathways that govern bone development, culminating in multiple high-impact publications, including a first-author paper in Developmental Cell. “I have been driven by and pulled towards curiosity for as long as I can remember,” Dr. Collins reflects, a mindset that continues to fuel his groundbreaking research in cancer immunology. 

Building on his expertise in mechanobiology and developmental hematopoiesis, Dr. Collins’ current research in Dr. Leonard Zon’s lab focuses on clonal hematopoiesis (CH), a condition that predisposes aging individuals to blood cancers and clotting disorders. His work aims to harness embryonic macrophage quality-control mechanisms to eliminate mutant, disease-causing blood stem cells. By identifying the endogenous signals that activate protective Beta-2-microglobulin pathways in healthy cells and selectively triggering calreticulin-mediated destruction of malignant stem cells, he hopes to pioneer novel immunotherapies for CH and myeloid disorders. 

A rapidly rising scientist in the field, Dr. Collins has already made key contributions, including a second-author publication in Science on macrophage-mediated blood stem cell regulation. His research, supported by the Cancer Research Institute, has the potential to transform cancer treatment by reprogramming innate immune processes to selectively eliminate disease-initiating cells. With a long-term goal of leading an independent research lab, Dr. Collins remains committed to uncovering fundamental biological mechanisms and translating them into revolutionary therapies for blood cancers. 

Projects and Grants

Co-opting Macrophage-Mediated HSPC Quality Assurance Mechanisms to Eliminate Mutant Blood Stem Cells in Clonal Hematopoiesis 

Boston Children’s Hospital | Blood Cancers | 2025 | Leonard Zon, MD 

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