Dr. Francis S. Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, became director of the National Institutes of Health on Aug. 17 after being approved unanimously by the Senate earlier in the month.
"The National Institutes of Health stands as a model when it comes to science and research," President Obama said when he nominated Dr. Collins for the post in July. "My administration is committed to promoting scientific integrity and pioneering scientific research, and I am confident that Dr. Francis Collins will lead the NIH to achieve these goals. Dr. Collins is one of the top scientists in the world, and his groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease."
Dr. Collins oversaw the federal Human Genome Project, which resulted in the complete mapping of the human genome in April 2003, finishing at about the same time as a parallel private effort.
Dr. Collins' research also has resulted in the discovery of several genes, including those responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease, and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Collins is interested in the intersection of science and faith and has written two books on the subject.