Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD
Director, National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health

Francis Collins, MD, PhD, a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project, is Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health. With Dr. Collins at the helm, the Human Genome Project consistently met projected milestones ahead of schedule and under budget. This remarkable international project culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. Building on the foundation laid by the Human Genome Project, Dr. Collins is now leading NHGRI’s effort to ensure that this new trove of sequence data is translated into powerful tools and thoughtful strategies to advance biological knowledge and improve human health.

Dr. Collins is also known for his consistent emphasis on the importance of ethical and legal issues in genetics. In addition to his achievements as the NHGRI Director, Dr. Collins’ laboratory has discovered a number of important genes, including those responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease, and most recently, genes for adult-onset diabetes and the gene that causes Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a dramatic form of premature aging.

Dr. Collins received a BS from the University of Virginia, a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Yale University, and an MD from the University of North Carolina. He has been elected to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2007.