Francis Collins, Senior Investigator at National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, shared on LinkedIn:
“I didn’t expect to be here, leading a new nonprofit.
Thirteen years leading the Human Genome Project, twelve as Director of the NIH, and now: an encore? A final chapter? I’m not sure what to call it.
What I am sure of is this: biomedical research is on a roll.
- Treatments that were science fiction when many of us started our careers are saving and improving lives right now.
- Sickle cell disease cured.
- Stage 4 cancers in remission.
- People with type 1 diabetes living without insulin after stem cell therapy.
- A baby surviving with a gene therapy designed for him and him alone.
Every one of those breakthroughs was built on years of questions, setbacks, and puzzles. Publicly funded research laid the foundation and remains a critical source of hope for people still waiting for answers.
None of it sustains itself. It depends on grassroots Americans understanding what research makes possible, valuing it, and standing up for it.
That is why we started Discovery Lives in Us, a new nonprofit I am proud to lead as founder and CEO.
We share the stories of patients and families living lives that research made possible, and follow each advance back through the decades of discovery behind it. And we highlight all of the needs that haven’t been met yet, but could be.
We’re thrilled to have many patient advocacy and scientific support organizations as partners in this effort.
Come see what we are building at”
You can also read: Global Cancer Leaders Gather in Brussels to Mark 10 Years of World Cancer Research Day
