National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins is stepping down by year’s end

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins – who has helmed the agency for 12 years and became a crucial source for information on the Covid-19 pandemic – said Tuesday he is stepping down by the end of the year.

“It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great agency for more than a decade,” Collins, 71, said in a statement. “I love this agency and its people so deeply that the decision to step down was a difficult one, done in close counsel with my wife, Diane Baker, and my family. I am proud of all we’ve accomplished.”

Collins is the 16th NIH director, appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009. He was asked to continue in his role by former President Donald Trump, and in 2021, by President Joe Biden. He is the first presidentially appointed NIH director to serve in more than one administration.

In a statement, Biden described Collins as “one of the most important scientists of our time.”

“Millions of people will never know Dr. Collins saved their lives. Countless researchers will aspire to follow in his footsteps. And I will miss the counsel, expertise, and good humor of a brilliant mind and dear friend,” Biden said.

In an interview with the Washington Post published late Monday, Collins said he had been contemplating in May whether to step down and eventually concluded that this year was the best time to do it.

“There comes a time where an institution like NIH really benefits from new vision, new leadership,” he told the Post. “This was the right timing.”

Prior to becoming the NIH director, Collins served as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008, leading the international project to map the human genome.

During the pandemic, Collins, along with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, became fierce advocates for people to wear masks and get vaccinated.