Dr. Francis S. Collins, a prominent geneticist and former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced his retirement after 12 years. In his parting statement, he praised NIH employees for their intelligence and dedication and emphasized the importance of bipartisan support for biomedical research. Collins, who served under three presidents and played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, did not specify his retirement reasons. His departure coincides with Senate hearings for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Trump nominee who opposed Collins. Collins’s tenure was marked by significant medical advancements, including immunotherapy and CRISPR gene editing breakthroughs.
Dr. Francis S. Collins, a distinguished geneticist who led the National Institutes of Health for 12 years, announced on Saturday his retirement from both the institutes and the federal government. In his farewell statement, he delivered a pointed yet subtly veiled message towards the Trump administration, which has dismissed numerous N.I.H. employees.
“As I leave N.I.H., I wish to convey my deep gratitude and affection for the individuals with whom I have collaborated throughout these years,” Dr. Collins expressed. “They are exceptional in intellect and integrity, amazingly dedicated, generous, and compassionate. They exemplify excellence in every respect and deserve the highest regard and support from all Americans.”
At 74 years old, Dr. Collins served three presidential administrations: those of Barack Obama, Donald J. Trump, and Joseph R. Biden Jr. He became one of the nation’s most recognized medical figures during the coronavirus pandemic, guiding the development of new testing methods, therapies, and vaccines.
He did not disclose the reasons for his retirement, stating in a text that he “was not doing any interviews.”
This announcement comes just days before the Senate confirmation hearing slated for Wednesday, regarding President Trump’s nominee for the next N.I.H. director: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University, who has openly criticized Dr. Collins.
Dr. Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, an anti-lockdown document signed in October 2020, during the peak of the pandemic. Subsequent emails revealed that Dr. Collins referred to Dr. Bhattacharya and his fellow authors as “fringe epidemiologists.”
In a previous Fox News interview, Dr. Collins reaffirmed his remarks, stating, “Countless lives would have been lost had we taken that approach.” In response, Dr. Bhattacharya criticized Dr. Collins as one among several scientists who “misused their authority to dismantle the reputations of dissenting scientists.”
Joining the institutes in 1993 under President Bill Clinton, Dr. Collins earned recognition for spearheading the Human Genome Project, a significant federal initiative aimed at mapping the human genome.
He is also noted for his religious beliefs: Dr. Collins is an evangelical Christian who has sought to reconcile science and faith, exemplified in his 2006 book, “The Language of God.” In response to the political fallout from the pandemic, he became a member of “Braver Angels,” a group aiming to mend the partisan divide, and later admitted to some missteps during the COVID crisis.
His thoughtfully composed statement provided a strong defense of the N.I.H. and expressed regret for the times when biomedical research enjoyed strong bipartisan backing.
Dr. Collins pointed out that when he joined the institutes and for many years thereafter, “funding for medical research was prioritized as a nonpartisan, bipartisan effort — saving countless lives, alleviating suffering, and significantly benefiting the U.S. economy.”
“N.I.H. is the world’s largest supporter of biomedical research,” he noted. “It drives a biomedical discovery engine that is envied worldwide. Yet, it does not have a strong public presence. It should.”
He continued: “When you hear about patients overcoming stage 4 cancer due to immunotherapy, that is a result of decades of N.I.H. research. When you hear about cures for sickle-cell disease via CRISPR gene editing, that is built upon extensive research backed by N.I.H.”
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a former longtime colleague of Dr. Collins who retired at the end of 2022 as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, praised Dr. Collins on Saturday, stating he has made an “extraordinarily positive impact” on biomedical research.
Conversely, supporters of Mr. Trump and his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., celebrated Dr. Collins’s exit. Among them was Katie Miller, who previously served as Mr. Kennedy’s spokeswoman before being appointed by Mr. Trump to the Department of Governmental Efficiency, an initiative led by Elon Musk to reform the federal government.
“Francis Collins was an ineffective leader who capitulated to Tony Fauci and openly ridiculed President Trump,” Ms. Miller remarked on social media. “@DrJBhattacharya is the right choice to advance @NIH.”
Dr. Collins’s retirement, effective Friday, follows the exits of several high-ranking N.I.H. officials, including Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, who was the long-serving No. 2 official at the institutes. Dr. Tabak departed last month after facing a reassignment he deemed unacceptable.
Dr. Collins was appointed to head the N.I.H. by Mr. Obama and stepped down as director in late 2021 during the first year of the Biden administration to return to his lab. “Millions of people will never know that Dr. Collins saved their lives,” Mr. Biden remarked then. “Countless researchers will aspire to follow his example.”