Alumni Profile: Dr. Jill Collins Finds the Story Behind the Science

BY MICHAEL DHAR

So many healthcare and biotech companies make products and technologies that could transform lives. But getting that life-changing work funded and in customers’ hands calls for clear, impactful communication— something that can challenge even the most brilliant researchers.

That’s where Jill Collins, PhD ’06, and her team make a difference. As CEO and chief strategy officer for branding agency Audacity Health, Collins helps health and science companies communicate why their work matters.

Jill Collins, PhD ’06

“A theme throughout my career is that you can have incredibly intelligent scientists, but if they can’t communicate what they’re doing and why, then the value is not there,” Collins said. “We’re able to understand [the science and technology], build that brand story to explain what they do, how and why.”

Audacity’s work could range from branding the newest product from an established medical device or diagnostic company to creating the entire brand identity for a precision oncology startup. “We will develop their brand strategy and messaging platform, which is really the essence of what their brand stands for.”

Collins came to Audacity uniquely positioned for such challenges. Even while completing her dissertation at UIC, exploring drug targets via protein crystallography, Collins valued the

communication skills UIC Pharmacy imparted. “You’re not just doing the work, but you have to share the work. You have to write about it, publish. You have to present at conferences,” she said. “It’s really about spreading the science and the results and communicating effectively.”

While wrangling pipettes in a postdoc lab at Stanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, Collins realized she loved science but wanted to leave the bench to focus on communicating research. She first transitioned to business development and marketing roles in biotech and, eventually, now her second go-around with Audacity.

“I could see . . . that there was a great need for a scientific expert,” she said. “When you support science and health care companies, you have to understand their products and technology.”

Since Collins took charge of Audacity in 2017, the company has experienced tremendous growth, with a workforce of ten expanding to approximately 30. The agency’s success has grown, too. “We look nothing like what we did three years ago. And right now, we have a very strong and positive reputation within our space. . . . I’m proud to have cultivated such a strong and talented team that has driven success for so many admirable healthcare brands.”