Dr. Francis Collins to step down as director of NIH

• Dr. Francis Collins, the longtime director of the National Institutes of Health, is resigning.
• Collins was director of the NIH for more than 12 years.
• He said in a statement that it was now time for someone new to lead the agency.

Dr. Francis Collins, the longtime director of the National Institutes of Health, is stepping down from the position at the end of the year, his agency announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Collins was director of the NIH for more than 12 years, and said in a statement that it was now time for someone new to lead the agency.

"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," he said in a statement. "I am proud of all we've accomplished. I fundamentally believe, however, that no single person should serve in the position too long, and that it's time to bring in a new scientist to lead the NIH into the future. I'm most grateful and proud of the NIH staff and the scientific community, whose extraordinary commitment to lifesaving research delivers hope to the American people and the world every day."

Collins will remain at the National Human Genome Research Institute, where he served as director from 1993 until he took over the NIH in 2009. His work in genetics includes the discovery of mutations associated with cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases, as well as leadership of the international Human Genome Project - the first roadmap for understanding the human genetic code.

He served three US presidents during his time at the NIH, making him the only presidentially appointed NIH Director to serve more than one administration.

"I was grateful he answered the call to serve even though it was asking him to stay on the job longer than anyone in NIH history," President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday, adding that Collins was one of the first people he asked to stay in his role when he took office.

"Dr. Francis Collins is one of the most important scientists of our time," the president said in the statement.

President Biden will need to nominate a director to be confirmed by a split Senate during what is perhaps most the politically divisive period in the history of the NIH. On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that no decision has been made on an interim director, according to an NIH official.

This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.