Author:
Ashley Krull, PhD
Contributing Editor, ISCT Telegraft
ISCT Lab Practices Committee Co-Chair
United States
Very few individuals have not only witnessed the birth of the cell and gene therapy field but have actively shaped its course. Dr. Nancy Collins, Ph.D., stands at the forefront of this pioneering group. As the first President of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), her vision, collaborative spirit, and relentless dedication to building community have laid the foundation for the field’s global progress.
Building a Scientific Career Rooted in Curiosity and Immunology
Dr. Collins' scientific career began in Toledo, Ohio, at the University of Toledo, where she first worked in the hospital microbiology department under the mentorship of a pioneering female lab director who had trained under Dr. Pasteur. Although initially intending to become a medical technologist, she quickly realized her passion for leadership and discovery. She pivoted to building a career in research and was fortunate to train with remarkable mentors, including Dr. Earl Freimer, who had worked with Dr. Rebecca Lancefield. This led to a master’s thesis involving a mouse model of rheumatic fever and laid the foundation for her growing interest in immunology. Dr. Collins undertook her doctoral training at the University of Rochester in the lab of Dr. Frank Young, a renowned microbiologist who would later become Commissioner of the FDA.
During her Ph.D., Dr. Collins’ work transitioned from mouse models to amphibians due to a developing allergy, which led her to novel investigations of immune function in salamanders. Her postdoctoral aspirations centered on cellular immunology, and she pursued work at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. There, she collaborated with leaders like Dr. Richard J. O'Reilly on bone marrow transplantation and with scientists developing early B cell lines from SCID patients. This period instilled in her a deep appreciation for translational science and the power of institutional collaboration in advancing care.
Dr. Collins established her own research lab at MSK and promoted innovations in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Over the course of more than 40 years, her laboratory’s work improved the safety and efficacy of transplants as well as the treatment of post-transplant complications.
Establishing a Society for Global Coordination
Dr. Collins entered the field of cell therapy at a time when it was fragmented and loosely defined. In the late 1980s, she was among a small group of researchers—alongside Adrian Gee, Sam Gross, Carlos Lee, and Diana Worthington-White—who organized one of the first meetings focused on human bone marrow processing. This formative gathering drew just over 20 laboratories, but its impact was significant. “After that meeting,” Dr. Collins recalled, “I said to Adrian, we need an organization.”
That idea took root, and Dr. Collins became the first President of what would become ISCT, while Adrian Gee served as Chairman of the Board. Together, they established an operational and philosophical framework for a society that would serve as the voice of a new and complex field. Under their leadership, ISCT facilitated crucial dialogues with the FDA to bridge a knowledge gap that once hindered regulatory clarity. These efforts were foundational in introducing pharmaceutical-grade practices into cell therapy labs and ensuring safety and reproducibility.
“Conversations are the most important part of conferences,” she emphasizes, reflecting her core belief that networking and problem-solving across institutions and borders are essential for progress. Through ISCT, she helped orchestrate a culture of collaboration, where labs could learn from each other. Her tenure also saw the creation of the Journal of Hematotherapy (later renamed Cytotherapy), a dedicated platform for publishing peer-reviewed work in the field. She, along with Dr. Robert Preti, also was instrumental in collecting data from laboratories worldwide to compile the first formal look at the scope and variability of practices in cell therapy, laying the groundwork for harmonized standards.
Leading with Vision
Today, ISCT is an internationally respected society with a strong infrastructure and a vital role in translational medicine. Dr. Collins reflects with pride on how far the organization and field have come: “Now we are networked and coordinated and have our own place within the framework of translational work. We fought really hard to have our own place.”
Dr. Collins sees a bright future for ISCT. She celebrates the increased sophistication of the field and the fact that stakeholders from vendors to regulators now speak a shared language. She also champions the remarkably talented and dedicated people and teams who make the hard work happen. But she also sees work ahead in public education, in fighting misinformation, and in ensuring that science continues to serve patients. Her advice for future leaders is to understand the unique dynamics of different places where one may train and work, be it hospitals, research institutes, or industry. She encourages trainees to “work in good places with good people, and you will learn.” “Each place is a different animal,” she notes. “Educate yourself, and [then] educate them.”
Her legacy is one of making connections: between science and medicine, between generations of scientists, and between institutions around the world. Through her leadership, what was once a fragmented field has become a global community that continues to grow, guided by the values she helped instill.
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