Former Assistant Professor Passes Away

 

June 9, 2026

We report with sadness the passing of Dr. Michael Collins MD MSc from cancer at the age of 83. Dr. Collins taught infectious disease epidemiology in our department for several years.

Michael had a most unusual trajectory bringing him to epidemiology.  A highly-regarded obstetrician-gynecologist in Traverse City, he decided, after nearly 20 years in private practice, to pursue a PhD in evolutionary biology at MSU, but, upon being offered the position of medical director of the tri-county Grand Traverse, Benzie and Leelanau Health Departments, he transferred to our Epidemiology Department to obtain an MSc in epidemiology, a requirement for the position. 

After receiving his degree, and while working in his medical director position, he was appointed an Assistant Professor with us in 1997, teaching infectious disease epidemiology and also collaborating with faculty in pregnancy and perinatal research.   Michael was a very creative and mathematically oriented thinker, both in exploring with students the intricacies of epidemic modelling in infectious diseases and in applying his thoughts to large perinatal databases.  In 2001, he first-authored a paper showing, in mechanically ventilated premature infants, that when blood levels of carbon dioxide were too low (a consequence of over-vigorous ventilation) the risk of later cerebral palsy nearly tripled.  That paper has been cited 148 times, and the exact method used by Michael to assess cumulative exposure to carbon dioxide was used in 2006 by the NICHD neonatal network (a collaboration of 16 major medical centers) to examine the relation of low carbon dioxide levels to neonatal brain damage, replicating Michael’s finding of harm.   This finding has influenced ventilatory neonatal practice in many newborn units.

When we expanded our department to include the Traverse City medical campus in 2015, Dr. Collins mentored our faculty and helped develop local partnerships. As medical director of three counties, he not only steered the northern Michigan community through many crises, including especially COVID-19, but authored a regular column in the Grand Traverse newspaper summarizing every emerging health situation with clarity and insight.  

Michael was also a talented musician who while yet in high school performed the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with The Fort Wayne, Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dr. Michael Peter Collins is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 61 years, Carolyn (DeVore), daughter Kathleen Collins (Jonathan Fields), sons Richard and Andrew Collins, daughter Tamara Collins, grandchildren Carter, Connor, Maya, Jericho, Daniel, Caden, and Matthew.

Dr. Michael P. Collins Obituary May 26, 2026 - Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home & Cremation Services