Kelsey H. Collins, PhD
UCSF investigator Kelsey H. Collins, PhD, has been awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s “New Innovator Award” for her exceptional contributions to the fields of osteoarthritis research and regenerative medicine. The award supports highly innovative research from promising early-stage investigators and provides over $1.5 million in funding. This DP2 grant will support her groundbreaking work in regenerative therapies aimed at addressing musculoskeletal pain, a significant contributor to the opioid crisis.
“Our research indicates that body fat contributes to systemic inflammation, which plays a significant role in cartilage loss and pain in osteoarthritis,” said Collins, PhD, UCSF assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and principal investigator at the UCSF Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Crosstalk, where she leads basic and translational research focused on the molecular mechanisms driving tissue interactions in osteoarthritis and related conditions.
“We believe that understanding the complex interactions between factors secreted by fat and musculoskeletal tissues is critical for developing innovative osteoarthritis therapeutics aimed at improving overall health, noted Collins. “The exciting part about this work is that fat likely plays a role in many pathologies associated with obesity and aging, so we can use the tools we are building to understand interorgan crosstalk relationships that are broadly applicable to aging and obesity.”
In the last year, Collins has received several prestigious recognitions that highlight her significant impact on advancing scientific knowledge and enhancing patient care. She was recognized as a 2024 Rising Star in Basic Science by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), an honor presented at the OARSI meeting in Vienna, Austria. This recognition is underscored by her three impactful papers, which have significantly contributed to the field, and is typically awarded to mid-career researchers.
Her recent research contributions and publications include: “Adipose tissue is a critical regulator of osteoarthritis” (PNAS); “A genome-engineered bioartificial implant for autoregulated anticytokine drug delivery (Science Advances), and “Leptin mediates the regulation of muscle mass and strength by adipose tissue” (Journal of Physiology).
Collins was also invited to participate in the highly selective Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Education Meeting, co-sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering in September 2024. This prestigious event honors trailblazers across diverse fields—not solely scientists—inviting them to showcase groundbreaking research and educational advancements.
“We are immensely proud of her achievements and the promise she holds for the future of orthopaedic research,” C. Benjamin Ma, MD, chair of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, said. “Dr. Collins embodies the PRIDE values of UCSF – Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence. As a champion of these principles, she not only drives innovation in her own research, but also actively recruits and mentors researchers in her lab, fostering a collaborative environment that yields remarkable results that could shift paradigms in the treatment of osteoarthritis, obesity and aging.”
