Collins Stepping Down as NIH Director

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, will be stepping down from his position by the end of the year, the agency announced Tuesday.

Collins is the longest-serving presidentially appointed director, having served in the position for 12 years across three presidential administrations.

“It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great agency for more than a decade,” Collins said in a statement. “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.”