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Collins, a genetics pioneer, was appointed as the head of NIH in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama, and he went on to serve the agency under three presidents.
“Twelve years is a long time,” Collins, 71, said in an interview with Fox News Channel. “No other NIH director has stayed in this job even close to that. … It’s time for new leadership, new vision.”
“NIH is in a good place right now,” said Collins, who has been one of the leading figures in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said he was not worried that the fight against the pandemic would lose momentum by his stepping down.
His decision gives President Joe Biden ample time to find a new director, who would have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Collins said.
Collins joined the NIH in 1993 and helped lead work that identified genes associated with Type 2 diabetes.
He worked at NIH until May 2008 then left to pursue writing projects, before being appointed director. Then- President Donald Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021 asked him to continue in the role.
