NIH Director Collins Says Religion Will Not Influence Agenda

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 19 Aug 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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NIH Director Francis Collins on Monday said that his evangelical Christian faith will not undercut his decisions on medical science and research, the AP/Washington Post reports. In an interview with the Associated Press on his first day at work, Collins said, "The NIH director needs to focus on science," adding, "I have no religious agenda for the NIH." During the administration of President George W. Bush, the agency drew criticism for allowing religious ideology to influence policy, such as restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.

Collins, who is best known for his work in mapping the human genome, has a reputation for "finding common ground between belief in God and science," according to the AP/Post. President Obama nominated him for the post in July, and the Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination on Aug. 7. Collins worked at NIH for 15 years before leaving in 2008 to work on Obama's presidential campaign and found the BioLogos Foundation, which works to bridge gaps between faith and science. He said he resigned from BioLogos before starting his job as NIH director.

Collins on Monday outlined some of his objectives for NIH over the next few years. He said he plans to focus on personalized medicine, which uses a person's genes to customize treatment. For example, thousands of breast cancer survivors undergo unnecessary chemotherapy to rule out aggressive forms of the disease that they might not have, he said. According to Collins, new genetic tests have reduced unneeded chemo, saving nearly $100 million annually in health care costs. Embryonic stem cell research will be another focus area, he said. Under the Obama administration's new stem cell policy -- which Collins helped develop -- NIH will decide which of the 700 existing stem cells lines are eligible for federally funded research (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 8/18).

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