Patrick L Collins, PhD. Assistant Professor, patrick.collins@osumc.edu
I am an Assistant Professor within The Ohio State University, leading a lab in the Microbial Infection and Immunity Department since late 2021.
Our lab specializes in lymphocyte genomics, with a specialized focus on immune lymphocyte cell development. We are currently engaged the following projects related to immune oncology and autoimmunity:
A) Genomic Regulation of Human Innate Lymphocytes. 
Natural killer cells are innate lymphocytes important for clearing cancers and infected cells, whose anti-tumor capability can be exploited in adoptive cell therapy. We know very little about the transcriptional regulators of human natural killer cells because of their scarce abundance and because they lack clear mouse equivalents. Dr. Collins’ research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that govern these cells, which can be readily exploited to combat cancer.
B) Mechanisms that stabilize broken DNA ends for repair. 
Efficient repair of DNA double-stranded breaks requires a coordinated DNA Damage Response (DDR), which includes the modification of local chromatin. The associated repair platform protects against end disassociation and degradation, minimizing chromosomal rearrangements. These mechanisms may be particularly important in adaptive lymphocytes, which must protect their genome from the endogenous sources of DNA damage driving immune diversity.
C. Immune Systems Biology and – omics.
Additionally, we leverage our expertise in genomics and bioinformatics to assist in collaborative research, with active projects investigating immune cell genomics during infectious and autoimmune diseases.