Dr. Francis Collins, the famed geneticist who headed up the National Institutes of Health for 12 years and three presidents, announced his resignation on Saturday. He became one of the faces of the battle against COVID-19 during the pandemic, the New York Times reports, shepherding the development of tests, vaccines, and therapeutics. Collins, 74, gave no reason for his retirement from the agency now beset by budget cuts and layoffs under the Trump administration, per the AP. He said he won't be giving interviews, but he offered a message.
"I want to express my gratitude and love for the men and women with whom I have worked side by side for so many years," Collins wrote. "They are individuals of extraordinary intellect and integrity, selfless and hard-working, generous and compassionate. They personify excellence in every way, and they deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans." The Senate is to vote Wednesday on whether to confirm Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who has been critical of Collins, as NIH director. Collins had stepped down from the top job in October 2021 to oversee research into diabetes and a genetic aging disorder.
Collins arrived at the NIH in 1993 to run the Human Genome Project. In his statement Saturday, Collins pointed out that the project, which mapped the human DNA instruction book, was completed two years ahead of schedule and $400 million under budget, per the AP. The evangelical Christian also was known for trying to find common ground between religion and science. On Saturday, per the Times, Collins expressed longing for the era when biomedical research received bipartisan support. About 1,200 of the NIH's 18,000 employees have been cut since President Trump took office, per NPR. (More Francis Collins stories.)
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