Kelsey H. Collins, PhD

Kelsey H. Collins, PhD

Assistant Professor
UCSF Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Crosstalk - Basic/Translational Research
 

Publications

Awards Honors

  • Rising Star Basic Science Research Award
    2024
    Rising Star Basic Science Research Award, Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), 2024
    Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)
  • Early Career Member-At-Large, Board of Directors
    2023
    Early Career Member-At-Large, Board of Directors, Orthopaedic Research Society, 2023-2025
    Orthopaedic Research Society
  • ORS/ON Orthoregeneration Award
    2023
    ORS/ON Orthoregeneration Award, ON (Orthoregeneration Network) Foundation, 2023
    ON (Orthoregeneration Network) Foundation
  • K99/R00 Pathway to Indepedence Award
    2022
    K99/R00 Pathway to Indepedence Award, NIH/NIAMS, 2022-2024
    NIH/NIAMS
  • Outstanding Peer Reviewer
    2022
    Outstanding Peer Reviewer, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal, 2022
    Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal
  • Preclinical Models Section Podium Award
    2021
    Preclinical Models Section Podium Award, Orthopaedic Research Society, 2021-2023
    Orthopaedic Research Society
  • Distinguished Postdoctoral Trainee
    2020
    Distinguished Postdoctoral Trainee, Center of Regenerative Medicine, 2020-2021
    Center of Regenerative Medicine
  • Rising Stars in Engineering in Health
    2020
    Rising Stars in Engineering in Health, Columbia University, 2020
    Columbia University
  • New Investigator Recognition Award (NIRA)
    2020
    New Investigator Recognition Award (NIRA), Orthopaedic Research Society, 2020
    Orthopaedic Research Society

Grants & Awards

  • The Role of Fat in Osteoarthritis
    2023-08-01 - 2026-06-30
    NIH R00AR078949
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • The Role of Fat in Osteoarthritis
    2022-04-24 - 2024-03-31
    NIH K99AR078949
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • The Role of Neuroimmune Metabolic Crosstalk in the Onset and Progression of Pain in Osteoarthritis
    2023-06-01 -
    Arthritis National Research Foundation
    Role:

Education

B.S. University of California, Davis , Davis 2011
Ph.D. University of Calgary 2017
Postdoctoral Fellowship Washington University in St. Louis 2021
Research Instructor Washington University in St. Louis 2023
Research Instructor Washington University in St. Louis 03/2023
Postdoctoral Fellowship Washington University in St. Louis 12/2021
Ph.D. University of Calgary 08/2017
B.S. University of California, Davis 06/2011

About Kelsey H. Collins, PhD

Kelsey H. Collins, PhD completed her undergraduate work in Exercise Biology at University of California, Davis, and earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at University of Calgary under the direction of Dr. Walter Herzog. During her postdoctoral studies in the Guilak Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, she created a tissue engineering and regenerative medicine platform to determine the signaling mechanisms between adipose and musculoskeletal tissues. For this work, she received the New Investigator Recognition Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society in 2020 and was named among the inaugural class of Rising Stars in Engineering in Health by Columbia University in 2020. Her transition to independence is supported by an NIH NIAMS K99/R00 Award in which she aims to determine the role of adipokines in osteoarthritis (OA) susceptibility, pain, and generate a new class of OA therapies.

In the Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Crosstalk, we leverage interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, endocrinology, and physiology to determine molecular mechanisms of tissue crosstalk in osteoarthritis. Our work aims to delineate fat-cartilage signals that contribute to osteoarthritis susceptibility and pain to generate a new class of regenerative medicine-based therapies. We use in vitro and in vivo approaches, induced pluripotent stem cells, CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, mouse models, human tissues, and state-of-the-art multi-omic spatial approaches. As pathological fat signaling may play a role in many disease processes, we work to define the mechanisms and create therapies that have implications to aging, obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

We value diversity in backgrounds and experience. We believe that diversity drives creativity and innovation, and we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive ecosystem where everyone feels valued and respected. Our mission is to improve patient outcomes through exciting, collaborative and innovative approaches in Musculoskeletal Research.