Oral Histories
Francis Collins
• Director of the National Institutes of Health
• Oversaw Human Genome Project
• Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health since 2009, was a successful gene hunter early in his career; he identified the genes for cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, neurofibromatosis and other conditions. As director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, he spearheaded the Human Genome Project. In 2007 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 2008 received the National Medal of Science, for his contributions to genetic research.