Head Of Human Genome Project Collins Steps Down

Boston (dbTechno) - Francis Collins led the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) for 15-years, but made the announcement on Thursday that he plans to step down from his position as of August 1. He has been the man in charge of the Human Genome Project in the U.S. since its beginning.

A press conference was held to announce the decision of Collins to step down from his post.

He stated during the press conference that he is very proud of what has been accomplished thus far, as well as praising all of his colleagues at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

One of his greatest achievements, he stated, was the 2003 mapping of the human genome. He stated that “It laid the foundation for a fundamental shift in medical care that is personalized medicine.”

He also stressed that there needs to be more federal funding in the field to allow the U.S. to continue to be the world leader in scientific research and development.

Now that he is stepping down, Collins explained that there are more things in life he wants to have the chance to do, such as write books, and explore other areas and ideas.

Alan Guttmacher, deupty director for the past six years, will take over as acting director when Collins leaves.