Research Interests
The food we eat directly shapes the trajectory of immune responses by regulating nutrient availability and cellular metabolism. Nutrition also impacts the immune system indirectly by regulating host physiology and the gut microbiota. As a result of this, host nutrition plays a major role in determining the frequency and severity of non-communicable and infectious diseases. However, we still lack a fundamental understanding of how nutrition regulates immune responses. Therefore, the overarching goal of the Collins laboratory is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how nutrition regulates the immune system. This line of research integrates cellular metabolism, host physiology and the gut microbiota. It is expected to have broad implications for the design of therapies that prevent and treat infectious and inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer.