Michael Sunshine, RSD student, had a chance to meet NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins in April at a lecture held at the UF Harrell Medical Education Building. Dr. Collins came to the University to have a town-hall style lecture with UF Health President Dr. David Guzick to address UF Health students, faculty and staff. After the lecture, Michael was able to meet Dr. Collins and briefly discuss his own research.
Dr. Collins oversees the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, spanning the spectrum from basic to clinical research. Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticists noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project which culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. He served as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH from 1993-2008.