Dr. Francis Collins Biography and Wiki
Dr. Francis Collins born as Francis Collins is an American physician-geneticist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He is the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, United States.
Francis also led the Human Genome Project before being appointed as the director of the NIH. He as well led other genomics research initiatives. He was the director of NHGRI(National Human Genome Research Institute) Francis earned a reputation as a gene hunter at the University of Michigan.
Francis was elected to the Institute of Medicine as well as the National Academy of Sciences. He has also received the Presidental Medal of Freedom as well as the National Medal of Science. Apart from all of his works., he has also written several, books which cover science, medicine as well as religion.
His books include: the New York Times, The Language of God and A Scientist Presents Evidence for belief. Collins, before becoming a director of the NHI and after him leaving NHGRI as a director, he as well-founded and served as president of The BioLogos Foundation. The foundation promotes discourse on the relationship that is there between science and religion.
It as well advocates on the perspective that Christianity can be reconciled with acceptance of evolution and science. Collins was appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Dr. Francis Collins Age
Collins was born on April 14, 1950. He is 70 years as of 2020. He celebrates his birth on April 14 every year.
Dr. Francis Collins Height and Weight
Collins appears to be quite tall in stature of his photos, relative to his surroundings, are anything to go by. However, details regarding his actual height and other body measurements are currently not publicly available. We are keeping tabs and will update this information once it is out.
Dr. Francis Collins Education
Francis was raised in a small village in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is a surprise that he was homeschooled until his sixth grade. He as well attended Robert E. Lee High School which was near his home in Staunton, Virginia. In the whole of his education journey, he had always, aspired to be a chemist. He as well had an interest in what he so considered to be ”messy’ field of biology.
He graduated from high school and joined the University of Virginia where he earned himself a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in the year 1970/ He as well joined Yale University and did Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Chemistry in the year 1970. While at Yale University he gained an interest in doing biochemistry.
He had a mentor at the University of Virginis, Carl Trindle with whom he consulted. He, therefore changed his field of study and joined the University of North California at Chapel Hill, which was a medical school. He earned himself a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of North California in 1977. Francis served a residency in internal medicine from 1978 t 1981 at NOth Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill.
Collins later turned to Yale. He became a Fellow in Human Genetics from 1981 to 1984 at the medical school.
Dr. Francis Collins Family
Collins was born in Staunton, Virginia, the youngest of four sons of Fletcher Collins and Margaret James Collins. After doing our research details about his family ae not available and it is also not known whether he has any siblings. However, this section is still under review and will be updated as soon as it is available.
Dr. Francis Collins Wife
Collins is married to Diane Baker. She has not disclosed much about his family and it is also not known if they are blessed with any children. But considering his reputation and age, he might be as well having a well-maintained family. However, we are keeping tabs on this information and will be updated as soon as it is available.
Dr. Francis Collins Facts and Body Measurements
Here are some interesting facts you don’t want to miss about Collins:
- Full Name: Dr. Francis Collins
- Age/ How Old?: 70 years
- Date of Birth: April 14, 1950
- Place of Birth: Staunton, Virginia, United States
- Education: Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, Virginia, University of Virginia, Yale University
- Birthday: April 14
- Nationality: American
- Father’s Name: Fletcher Collins
- Mother’s Name: Margaret James Collins
- Siblings: Not Available
- Married?: Diane Baker
- Children/ Kids: Not Available
- Height/ How tall?: Not Available
- Weight: Not Available
- Profession: Doctor
- Net worth: Not Available
Dr. Francis Collins Physician-Geneticist
Collins was appointed by the National Institutes of Health Director Bernadine Healy, to succeed James D. He was to become the director of the National Centre for Human Genome Research. The institution later became the National Human Genome Research Institute( NHGRI) in the year 1997.
Collins oversaw the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, as sa director, which was the group that carried out the Human Genome Project successfully. Collins as well, in the year 1994, founded NHGRI’s Division of Intramural Research.
It was a collection of investigator-directed laboratories that conduct genome research on the NIH campus. Francis, in June 2000, was joined by President Bill Clinton as well as biologist Craig Venter in making the announcement of a working draft on the human genome.
“It is humbling for me, and awe-inspiring to realize that we have caught the first glimpse of our own instruction book, previously known only to God.”
In February 2001, an initial analysis was published. Sc9ientists worked hard in order to finish the reference version of the human genome sequence by 2003. This was to coincide with the 50 anniversary of James D. Watson as well as Francis Crick’s publication of the structure of DNA.
During his tenure, another major activity at the National Human Genome Research Institute was created. It was the haplotype map of the human genome. It was an International HapMap Project which produced a catalog of human genetic variations. it was called single-nucleotide polymorphisms- which is now being used to discover variants correlated with disease risk. Among all other labs engaged in that effort is Francis’s own lab at National Human Genome Research, which has sought to identify as well as understanding the genetic variations that influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In addition to his basic genetic research and scientific leadership, Collins is known for his close attention to ethical and legal issues in genetics. He has been a strong advocate for protecting the privacy of genetic information and has served as a national leader in securing the passage of the federal Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act, which prohibits gene-based discrimination in employment and health insurance. In 2013, spurred by concerns over the publication of the genome of the widely used HeLa cell line derived from the late Henrietta Lacks, Collins and other NIH leaders worked with the Lacks family to reach an agreement to protect their privacy, while giving researchers controlled access to the genomic data.
Building on his own experiences as a physician volunteer in a rural missionary hospital in Nigeria, Collins is also very interested in opening avenues for genome research to benefit the health of people living in developing nations. For example, in 2010, he helped establish an initiative called Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) to advance African capacity and expertise in genomic science.
Collins announced his resignation as NHGRI director on May 28, 2008, but has continued to lead an active lab there with a research focus on progeria and type 2 diabetes.
NIH director
Nomination and confirmation
Collins with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius after the swearing-in ceremony
On July 8, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health,[ and the Senate unanimously confirmed him for the post. He was sworn in by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on August 17, 2009.
Science writer Jocelyn Kaiser opined that Collins was “known as a skilled administrator and excellent communicator,” that Obama’s nomination “did not come as a big surprise” and that the appointment “ignited a volley of flattering remarks from researchers and biomedical groups.” Yet, she wrote, Collins “does have his critics,” some of them who were concerned with the new director’s “outspoken Christian faith.”
Washington Post staffer David Brown wrote, however, that Collins’ status as a “born-again Christian . . . may help him build bridges with those who view some gene-based research as a potential threat to religious values.” Collins’ appointment was welcomed by the chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and by Bernadine Healy, the former head of the National Institutes of Health.
In October 2009, shortly after his nomination as NIH director, Collins stated in an interview in The New York Times: “I have made it clear that I have no religious agenda for the N.I.H., and I think the vast majority of scientists have been reassured by that and have moved on.”
On October 1, 2009, in the second of his four appearances on The Colbert Report, Collins discussed his leadership at the NIH and other topics such as personalized medicine and stem cell research. And, in November 2011, Collins was included on The New Republic’s list of Washington’s most powerful, least famous people. Collins appeared on the series finale of The Colbert Report, participating in a chorus with several other famous people singing “We’ll Meet Again”.
On June 6, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his selection of Collins to continue to serve as the NIH Director.
Projects
Collins was instrumental in establishing the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) on December 23, 2011. In January 2013, Collins created two senior scientific positions on Big Data and the diversity of the scientific workforce. Other projects he took on early in his tenure included increased support for Alzheimer’s disease research, which was announced in May 2012; the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, announced by President Obama and Collins on April 2, 2013, at the White House; and, in February 2014, the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP), a public-private partnership between NIH, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10 biopharmaceutical firms, and multiple non-profit organizations.
In 2014, Collins worked with the larger biomedical research community to create principles and guidelines to foster rigor and reproducibility in preclinical research, including incorporating sex as a biological variable to ensure differences in treatment response between men and women are addressed.
In January 2015 President Obama announced the NIH-led Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), later renamed the All of Us Research Program, in his State of the Union address. All of Us seeks to extend precision medicine to all diseases by building a national research cohort of 1 million or more U.S. participants.
In other precedent-setting actions during his time as NIH director, Collins announced in November 2015 that NIH will no longer support any biomedical research involving chimpanzees. In December 2015, Collins and other NIH leaders released a detailed plan that charted a course for NIH’s efforts over the ensuing five years The NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2016-2020: Turning Discovery Into Health was aimed at ensuring the agency remains well-positioned to capitalize on new opportunities for scientific exploration and to address new challenges for human health.
In January 2016, President Obama announced a new initiative to galvanize the nation’s research efforts against cancer. Fueled by an additional $680 million in the proposed the fiscal year 2017 budget for NIH, the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative aims to accelerate progress toward the next generation of interventions to reduce cancer incidence and improve patient outcomes. In 2016, Collins instituted a number of clinical trial reforms to enhance the protection of participants in research and improve reporting of research results in ClinicalTrials.gov. In 2017, Collins implemented the Next Generation Researchers Initiative to improve the odds for early investigators to win NIH grants.
To support the Administration’s Stop Opioid Abuse Initiative, Collins launched the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Initiative in April 2018. The NIH HEAL InitiativeSM bolsters research across NIH to improve treatments for opioid misuse and addiction and enhance pain management. Also in 2018, Collins launched an initiative to address sexual harassment in science and change a culture that sends messages to women and other underrepresented groups that they don’t belong in biomedical research.
Music
Collins’ love of guitar playing and motorcycle riding is often mentioned in articles about him.
While directing NHGRI, he formed a rock band with other NIH scientists. Sometimes the band, called the Directors, dueled with a rock band from Johns Hopkins University led by cancer researcher Bert Vogelstein. Lyrics of the Directors’ songs included spoofs of rock and gospel classics re-written to address the challenges of contemporary biomedical research. Collins has performed at TEDMED 2012, StandUpToCancer,The 2017 Southern Methodist University Commencement, and Rock Stars of Science.
His passion for music also inspired him to partner with the Kennedy Center to expand the Sound Health Initiative, which was announced in February 2017. Sound Health aims to expand current knowledge and explore ways to enhance the potential for music as therapy for neurological and other disorders.
Dr. Francis Collins Net Worth
Collins has been in the health industry for quite a long time. He has no doubt amassed a huge fortune with the bulk of his wealth coming from His professional career. Despite his obvious riches, Francis prefers to lead a modest lifestyle. However, the specifics about his assets and liabilities are still under review making it difficult to establish his actual net worth. His salary is also undisclosed.
Dr. Francis Collins Awards and Achievements
Francis is undoubtedly a fine physician-geneticist as outlined in the following awards:
- Canada Gairdner International Award
- Kilby International Award
- Biotechnology Heritage Award
- William Allan Award
- Inamori Ethics Prize
- National Medal of Science
- Trotter Prize
- Albany Medical Centre Prize
- Pontifical Key Scientific Award
- Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
Who is Dr. Francis Collins?
Francis Collins born as Francis Collins is an American physician-geneticist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He is the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, United States.
How old is Dr. Francis Collins?
Collins was born on April 14, 1950. He is 70 years as of 2020. He celebrates his birth on April 14 every year.
How tall is Dr. Francis Collins?
Collins appears to be quite tall in stature of his photos, relative to his surroundings, are anything to go by. However, details regarding his actual height and other body measurements are currently not publicly available. We are keeping tabs and will update this information once it is out.
Where was Dr. Francis Collins born?
Collins was born on April 14, 1950, Staunton, Virginia, United States
What nationality is Dr. Francis Collins?
Collins is an American national.
Is Dr. Francis Collins married?
Collins is married to Diane Baker. She has not disclosed much about his family and it is also not known if they are blessed with any children. But considering his reputation and age, he might be as well having a well-maintained family. However, we are keeping tabs on this information and will be updated as soon as it is available.
How much is Dr. Francis Collins worth?
Collins has been in the health industry for quite a long time. He has no doubt amassed a huge fortune with the bulk of his wealth coming from His professional career. Despite his obvious riches, Francis prefers to lead a modest lifestyle. However, the specifics about his assets and liabilities are still under review making it difficult to establish his actual net worth. His salary is also undisclosed.
Is Dr. Francis Collins dead or alive?
Collins is still alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Where does Dr. Francis Collins live?
Because of security reasons, Collins has not shared his precise location of residence. We will immediately update this information if we get the location and images of his house.
Dr. Francis Collins Twitter
Tweets by NIHDirector