Dr. Sean Collins is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. He received his PhD for his work on disordered proteins and large-scale genetic studies at UCSF. Since joining UC Davis in 2014, his lab has studied immune cell movement and decision-making. Using a number of tools including optogenetic approaches and mathematical modeling, his lab has contributed a significant amount to the field. 00:00 Academic background 02:39 The importance of math in biology 05:40 Overview of the immune system 11:10 Cell movement and light-sensitive proteins 16:25 Optogenetics is an incredibly powerful tool 18:00 Cells are highly responsive 20:40 Immune cells to fight tumors 24:10 A reflection on academia and teaching 27:25 Becoming a good scientist Dr. Collins received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Stanford University. He and his collaborators have published many papers in high-impact journals including Nature. Topics of his research include cell biology, systems biology, cell signaling, and functional genomics. Dr. Collins is highly-cited and highly respected in the field. On a personal note, I was a student in one of his quantitative biology courses in Winter 2023. My experience in that class has furthered my love and interest in biology. Interview by Kush Narang Recorded on April 20th 2023 at UC Davis