Barbara Collins graduated from the University of Orsay (Paris XI, France) with a Masters in Organic chemistry in 1997. In 1998 she moved to Prague in the Czech Republic to complete her PhD in Chemistry and Physical Chemistry of Polymers in a joint collaboration between University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI, France) and the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (Prague 6, Czech Republic).

In 2004 she began a postdoctoral position in the Chemistry Department in University College Cork for 3 years in nanoelectronics, followed by a postdoctoral position in the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry in Prague. She came back to Cork and worked as a Project manager and Research fellow leading many research projects both in the Chemistry Department in UCC and in the Tyndall National Institute for 7 years.

After a career break, she took up study again with the aim to rejoin the workforce this time in the pharmaceutical field, an area in line with her wish to improve people’s lives. In 2022 she successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Sciences in University College Cork with first class honours. In 2024 she joined Cancer Research @UCC as a Research Support & Grant Support Officer. Barbara provides both administrative and grant applications support for cancer researchers.