Spring 2026 Grantee Highlight:
Amélie Collins

Amélie Collins, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Newborns face a heightened risk of infection, and the innate immune response plays a critical role in protection during early life. Despite its importance, scientists still do not fully understand why newborns often struggle to mount the robust immune responses needed to effectively combat bacterial infections.

The Collins Lab studies the intersection of hematopoiesis, the regenerative arm of the blood system that replenishes mature cells with effector function, and immunology, the functional arm of the blood system that fights infection. Their research is driven by the premise that the capacity of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to respond to infection and expand innate immune cells is an integral component of an effective immune response.

The team is investigating the mechanisms that restrict early-life hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from robustly engaging in innate immune cell production in response to bacterial infection. By identifying developmentally encoded factors that limit this regenerative capacity, they aim to better understand why early-life immune responses differ from those later in life.

This work could reveal new strategies to enhance neonatal immune responses to infection, laying the foundation for future therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for vulnerable newborns.

Learn more about the Collins Lab: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/n/neonatology/labs/collins