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Obama nominates Francis Collins, former head of National Human Genome Research Institute, to head National Institutes of Health
ANN ARBOR, MI – President Barack Obama has announced his nomination of ex-University of Michigan genetics pioneer Francis S. Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health. Collins holds doctorates in medicine and science and headed the National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008.
In 2003, scientists from the institute helped finish the decoding of the human genetic structure.
In his announcement, Obama praised Collins as “one of the top scientists in the world” and someone whose research has transformed the understanding of health and disease.
Collins has discovered genes responsible for cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease and adult onset diabetes.
