Statement by Francis Collins, MD, PhD

On February 28, I notified NIH Acting Director Matt Memoli, MD of my retirement from the federal government, effective immediately.

The National Institutes of Health is the world’s foremost medical research institution. It has been rightfully called the “crown jewel” of the federal government for decades.  It has been the greatest honor of my life to be part of this institution in various roles over the last four decades.  

In the 1980s, NIH supported my work at the University of Michigan through a peer-reviewed grant.  That led to the identification of the gene for cystic fibrosis.  Thirty years later, that has led to an almost miraculous treatment that allows most kids with cystic fibrosis to look forward to an almost normal life span.

I was recruited to NIH in 1993 to lead the Human Genome Project – an extraordinarily bold initiative to read out the three billion letters of the human DNA instruction book.  Funded by the U.S. Congress, the project completed its work two years ahead of schedule and $400 million under budget.  The success of the project and the commitment to share all of the data rapidly and freely have revolutionized every aspect of human biomedical research and medical practice.  

Subsequently, I was honored to be asked to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health.  I had the chance to serve three Presidents – Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden. I also had the opportunity to work regularly with members of Congress in both parties.  I loved those interactions and relationships.  Throughout that time, investment in medical research was seen as a high priority and a non-political bipartisan effort — saving countless lives, relieving human suffering, and contributing substantially to the U.S. economy.  That consistent support made possible bold new projects in regenerative medicine, brain science, precision health, cancer, and solutions for opioid addiction, to name just a few. 

When the worst pandemic in more than a century arose in 2020, it was my job as Director of NIH to pull together partnerships with the FDA, academia, and the private sector to produce what only America’s unparalleled biomedical sector could have: COVID vaccines in just 11 months, a staggering medical achievement that saved over three million lives in the U.S. alone. 

After a stint in the White House as the President’s Acting Science Advisor, where I had the chance to organize a major initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States, I returned to the intramural research program of the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2023.  There, I have been overseeing a research laboratory of a dozen highly talented and visionary scientists who are providing new insights into the causes and possible means of prevention of type 2 diabetes, as well as seeking a gene therapy cure for one of the world’s rarest diseases – progeria, a premature aging disorder. 

NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe, and yet it is not a household name.  It should be.  NIH supports everything from basic science to clinical trials, providing the foundation for many breakthroughs.  When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades.  When you hear about sickle cell disease being cured because of CRISPR gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH. It has also been the largest supporter of global health research in the world, winning us many friends and colleagues from across the globe. 

I have loved being employed by this extraordinary, life-giving institution for 32 years. I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness, and faith.  As I depart NIH, 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. 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.