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Alumni Success Stories

Jim Collins ’87

Collins

Jim Collins ’87 believes in the value of daydreaming. The former Holy Cross physics major and class valedictorian went on to become a Rhodes Scholar, earn a doctorate in medical engineering at Oxford University, and create one breakthrough after another at the intersection of biology and engineering. One example is the first “genetic toggle switch” to start or stop various cellular activities, a discovery with potential to transform the understanding of cancer and other serious diseases. At the root of his high-tech achievements, however, are two simple, powerful drivers: compassion and reflection. Collins first became inspired to help people with medical problems by his two grandfathers, each of whom developed a severe disability. And he has long recognized the role of reflection in the creative process, noting that he makes it a priority to “just spend time thinking about cool new ideas.”

Since 1990, Collins has taught biomedical engineering at Boston University, where he co-directs the Center for Biodynamics and has received the university’s highest teaching award. Among other honors, he has been named a MacArthur Fellow and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, both of which provide funding for future innovation. Collins is now using engineered bacteria and synthetic genetic networks to explore ways to develop more effective antibiotics and other drugs.