Francis Collins
Director of the Human Genome Project
Francis S. Collins was initially educated at home by his mother to the age of ten. At school, physics and chemistry captivated Collins, whilst he had no interest in natural sciences. During his PhD in chemistry, Collins attended a biochemistry course which kindled a passion for DNA and medicine. Early in his medical course Collins met patients with genetic conditions, an experience that inspired him to pursue genetics. In 1989 Collins' research group at the University of Michigan identified the gene for cystic fibrosis, and later discovered, among others, the gene causing Huntington's disease. In 1993 Collins was appointed Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to lead the Human Genome Project in America, succeeding James Watson. Collins has said that the HGP "will be judged by history as more significant than even splitting the atom or going to the moon." Collins is also noted for developing a rapid technique of locating genes, which he later termed 'positional cloning'.
