Skip to main content
NIH Intramural Research Program, Our Research Changes Lives

Navigation controls

  • Search
  • Menu

Social follow links

  • Podcast
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
      • Nobel Prize
      • Lasker Award
      • Breakthrough Prize
      • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
      • Presidential Medal of Freedom
      • National Medal of Science
      • Searle Scholars
      • The National Academy of Sciences
      • The National Academy of Medicine
      • The National Academy of Engineering
      • The American Academy of Arts and Sciences
      • National Medal of Technology & Innovation
      • Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
      • Crafoord Prize
      • Fellows of the Royal Society
      • Canada Gairdner Awards
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
      • NCI
      • NEI
      • NHGRI
      • NHLBI
      • NIA
      • NIAAA
      • NIAID
      • NIAMS
      • NIBIB
      • NICHD
      • NIDA
      • NIDCD
      • NIDCR
      • NIDDK
      • NIEHS
      • NIMH
      • NIMHD
      • NINDS
      • NINR
      • NLM
      • CC
      • NCATS
      • NCCIH
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
      • Biomedical Engineering & Biophysics
      • Cancer Biology
      • Cell Biology
      • Chemical Biology
      • Chromosome Biology
      • Clinical Research
      • Computational Biology
      • Developmental Biology
      • Epidemiology
      • Genetics & Genomics
      • Health Disparities
      • Immunology
      • Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
      • Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
      • Molecular Pharmacology
      • Neuroscience
      • RNA Biology
      • Social & Behavioral Sciences
      • Stem Cell Biology
      • Structural Biology
      • Systems Biology
      • Virology
    • Principal Investigators
      • View by Investigator Name
      • View by Scientific Focus Area
    • Accomplishments
      • View All Accomplishments by Date
      • View All Health Topics
      • The Body
      • Health & Wellness
      • Conditions & Diseases
      • Procedures
    • Accelerating Science
      • Investing in Cutting-Edge Animal Models
      • Creating Cell-Based Therapies
      • Advancing Computational and Structural Biology
      • Combating Drug Resistance
      • Developing Novel Imaging Techniques
      • Charting the Pathways of Inflammation
      • Zooming in on the Microbiome
      • Uncovering New Opportunities for Natural Products
      • Stimulating Neuroscience Research
      • Pursuing Precision Medicine
      • Unlocking the Potential of RNA Biology and Therapeutics
      • Producing Novel Vaccines
    • Research in Action
      • View All Stories
      • Too Much of a Good Thing
      • Turning Face Perception on Its Head
      • Safeguarding a Second Chance at Life
      • A Biological Betrayal
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
      • Supercomputing
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
      • Get Involved with Clinical Research
      • Physician Resources
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
      • Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigators
        • Science, the Stadtman Way
        • Earl Stadtman Investigator Frequently Asked Questions
      • Lasker Clinical Research Scholars
      • Independent Research Scholar
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
The NIH Catalyst: A Publication About NIH Intramural Research

National Institutes of Health • Office of the Director | Volume 27 Issue 2 • March–April 2019

Bringing a Diversity of Perspectives to NIDCR Science

First Recipient of NIDCR Diversity Fellowship Uses Biochemistry to Understand Developmental Disorders

BY CATHERINE EVANS, NIDCR

For biochemist Jason Collins, a postdoc in the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), it’s the promise of the scientific “aha” moments that keep him coming back to the bench every day. “There’s an excitement and adrenaline rush when all the pieces finally come together,” he said. “Being able to share that with others, especially when it could benefit human health, is really exciting.”

 Jason Collins at his desk with computer screen in background

CREDIT: CHIA CHI CHARLIE CHANG

Jason Collins is the first recipient of the NIDCR director’s Postdoctoral Fellowship to Enhance Diversity in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.

With this drive to discover, Collins became the first recipient of the NIDCR director’s Postdoctoral Fellowship to Enhance Diversity in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. The award will enable Collins to work for up to five years in the Stem Cell Biochemistry lab of Achim Werner, who is exploring molecular signaling pathways that underlie craniofacial disorders.

Collins will draw on his expertise in ribosomes—the complex cellular machines that translate genetic messages into proteins—to understand cell processes that go awry during development to cause craniofacial malformations. His first insights into ribosomes emerged from his earlier postdoctoral work at the Scripps Research Institute campus in Jupiter, Florida. He studied how defects in the production of ribosomes could lead to conditions such as anemia, cancer, and craniofacial malformations. “When you bypass quality-control steps during ribosome maturation, the ribosomes have the potential to produce aberrant proteins that can cause dysfunction,” Collins said. “We think this leads to disease.”

Collins grew up in a military family in Germany and discovered his aptitude for biochemistry in high school. Later, at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, one professor’s influence sparked Collins’s interest in the field as a career. He stayed at Old Dominion after graduation and completed his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, and his insights into protein folding and misfolding in Alzheimer disease garnered several journal articles and a book chapter.

Collins is excited to continue his training at NIH, where he’s found the collaborative environment suits him well. When he applied for the NIDCR fellowship, “what struck me was the sense of community and the many resources that are available to facilitate an interdisciplinary environment,” he said. “Science isn’t about doing it all yourself; it’s collaboration and discussing ideas with others in order to discover new and better ways to answer important questions.”

group of five scientists in front of large screen with purple image

CREDIT: CHIA CHI CHARLIE CHANG

Collins (back right) is working in the lab of Achim Werner (back left) to understand how changes in neural-crest stem cells in development could underlie Treacher-Collins syndrome.

This notion strikes at the heart of the NIDCR director’s diversity fellowship, which is designed to enable scientists from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. “Taking steps to support the inclusion of early-career scientists from underrepresented groups is an investment in development of a stronger, more dynamic research environment,” said NIDCR Director Martha Somerman.

“We encourage applicants with a commitment to enhancing the diversity of the biomedical field and pursuing independent, highly competitive careers in dental, oral, and craniofacial research,” said Deborah Philp, director of NIDCR’s Office of Education, whose own doctoral work was supported by an NIH diversity program—the Division of Minority Opportunities at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

This page was last updated on Tuesday, April 5, 2022

  • Issue Overview
  • Features
    • Center for Cellular Engineering
    • Introducing the Newest Laskers
    • Matthew Hoffman is New NIDCR Scientific Director
    • Bringing a Diversity of Perspectives to NIDCR Science
    • Nobelist Michael Young Delivers WALS Lecture
    • Memorial Trees
    • IRP Web News
    • Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival 2018
  • Departments
    • From the Deputy Director for Intramural Research
    • News Briefs
    • Colleagues: Recently Tenured
    • Research Briefs
    • New Methods/News You Can Use
    • The Training Page
    • Photographic Moment
    • Announcements
  • Issue Contents
  • Download this issue as a PDF

Catalyst menu

  • Current Issue
  • Previous Issues
  • About The NIH Catalyst
  • Contact The NIH Catalyst
  • Share Your Story
  • NIH Abbreviations

Catalyst links

  • Follow The NIH Catalyst

Subscribe Today!

Subscribe to The NIH Catalyst Newsletter and receive email updates.

Subscribe

Get IRP Updates

Subscribe

  • Email
  • Print
  • Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
    • Principal Investigators
    • Accomplishments
    • Accelerating Science
    • Research in Action
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health
  • USA.gov

Footer

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • IRP Brand Materials
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Web Policies & Notices
  • Site Map
  • Search