Rate My Professor Madison Collins

Madison Collins, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences at Montana State University Billings, within the College of Health Professions and Science. A native of the Billings-Laurel area and first-generation college graduate, she began her higher education at MSU Billings before pursuing undergraduate studies in microbiology at Montana State University in Bozeman in 2013, where she fell in love with the field through honeybee host-pathogen research projects. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Montana State University, Bozeman, under Dr. Jovanka Voyich, focusing on accessory genes saeP and saeQ that enable Staphylococcus aureus to evade innate immune responses. Subsequently, Collins completed postdoctoral training and served as lab manager at the National Institutes of Health's Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, gaining over ten years of research experience as an infectious disease immunological scientist.

Collins' research centers on the microscopic regulatory interactions between Staphylococcus aureus—the causative agent of staph infections and MRSA—and human immune cells, particularly neutrophil autophagy modulation. Her undergraduate research lab at MSU Billings supports six to seven students conducting independent projects, integrating research as a teaching tool. She has produced 19 publications with 489 citations, including "The Accessory Gene saeP of the SaeR/S Two-Component Gene Regulatory System Impacts Staphylococcus aureus Virulence During Neutrophil Interaction" (2020), "Aspartic Acid Residue 51 of SaeR is Essential for Staphylococcus aureus Virulence" (2020), "Recovery from Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Development of Anamnestic Immune Responses in T Cell-Depleted Rhesus Macaques" (2021), and "Practical Mouse Model to Investigate Therapeutics for Staphylococcus aureus Contaminated Surgical Mesh Implants" (2023). Recognized for excellence, she received the 2024 Faculty Excellence Award, Early Achievement Research and Creative Accomplishments Award, and Winston & Helen Cox Fellowship Award. Collins teaches Medical Microbiology, Microbiology for Health Sciences, General Microbiology and Lab, and Discover Biology online, earning acclaim for her inclusive, organized instruction and dedication to student success.