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Dr. Madison Collins

Assistant Professor of Microbiology, CHPS

Dr. Madison Collins does big things by studying very small things. The kind of small things where 鈥済oing viral鈥� has real consequences.

And because of all that, her students get a better education.

Employing a combination of scientific talent, boundless creative energy, and genuine care for her students, Dr. Collins has made an impact on MSU Billings in just four years. She has been able to advance knowledge in her field, secure significant external support, publish in top journals, and build a lab culture that transforms student trajectories, according to her nominators for this award. In every respect, they say, she embodies the qualities this award is designed to recognize.

Dr. Collins fell in love with microbiology research in 2013 when she was an undergraduate at Montana State University in Bozeman and worked on several honeybee host-pathogen research projects. She later worked as a PhD graduate research assistant studying Staphylococcus aureus. Dr. Collings did her post-doctorate work for the National Institutes of Health at the Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton, where she later became lab manager.

Her cutting-edge research involves understanding the microscopic regulatory relationship between Staphylococcus aureus (the bacteria that causes staph infections)and how it interacts with human immune cells central to fighting bacteria infections. Dr. Collins鈥� work has led to securing more than $340,000 in competitive external funding for the university. And, as her nominators say, she actively mentors undergraduate researchers, with several students presenting at the 2025 INBRE Western Regional Conference.

鈥淗er efforts not only advance scientific understanding but also provide transformative experiences for her students,鈥� the nominators said.