Today, Francis Collins announced that he will be stepping down from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the end of this year. Dr. Collins led NIH for the past 12 years, and although he is leaving his leadership role, he plans to continue his laboratory work at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). An interim director has not yet been named.
Will the change of leadership result in a revised research agenda for NIH? The NIH director is appointed by the U.S. president and must be confirmed by the senate. In my opinion, this is unfortunately a case of politics mixing too closely with science, but at least it guarantees an open selection process. Dr. Collins has led the NIH in a way that has been non-partisan and focused on propelling science forward. Many great achievements have occurred during his tenure, and I hope that President Biden will find a suitable scientific mind to continue this great work.
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