Dr. Francis Collins is one of the world’s pre-eminent scientists, having directed the extraordinary international Human Genome Project that mapped out humanity’s genes for the first time. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science. And he now holds the reins of the National Institutes of Health, directing billions of dollars of the United States’ research investment every year.
But Collins’ first visit to the University of Delaware on Friday, March 1, seemed more like facetime with a trusted mentor, someone who listens carefully to your ideas, cheers you on and, if you make a good case, even helps your great ideas get traction.
The NIH has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in UD research over the years, including $34 million in fiscal year 2018 alone — making it the single largest sponsor of UD research during the past year.