Francis Collins

American geneticist and director of the National Institutes of Health · United States · On the map · Doctors · Born 1950 · age 76

Francis Sellers Collins is an American physician-scientist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He served as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, from 17 August 2009 to 19 December 2021, serving under three presidents.

Francis Collins is read about 419 times a day, in 36 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 11 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 113 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2020Foreign Member of the Royal SocietyAwardTempleton PrizeAward2018Warren Alpert Foundation PrizeAward2010Albany Medical Center PrizeAward2009Nevada MedalAward2008National Medal of ScienceAward2007“Yes, evolution by descent from a common ancestor is clearly true.”In their words6 April 2007"Collins: Why this scientist believes in God", editorial, CNNRead the whole statement

Honorary Doctor of the University of MiamiAward2006“The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshipped in the cathedral or in the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate, and beautiful.”In their wordsThe Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief (2006), p. 211Read the whole statement

2005ASHG Lifetime Achievement AwardAward2002Canada Gairdner International AwardAward2001AMA Scientific Achievement AwardAwardPrincess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific ResearchAward1999Wilbur Cross MedalAward1998Mendel MedalAward1992Dickson Prize in MedicineAward1950Born14 April 1950

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Collins with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius after swearing-in ceremony

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Francis Collins

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There are answers that science isn’t able to provide about the natural world - the questions about why instead of the questions about how. I’m interested in the whys.
Time magazine, Own words
Reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind.
cnn.com, Own words
I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry.
cnn.com, Own words