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Faith
and the Human Genome
Francis Collins
Dr.
Francis Collins discusses the importance of the Human Genome Project and
relates his work to his personal faith.
Together with Lap-Chee Tsui and Jack Riordan of the Hospital for Sick
Children in Toronto, Canada, Francis Collins' research team identified
the gene for cystic fibrosis in 1989. The following year, his group
identified
the neurofibromatosis gene, and 1993 saw a successful collaborative effort
to identify the gene for Huntington's disease. That same year, Collins
became
the second director of the National Center for Human Genome Research, following
in the footsteps of James Watson. As director, Collins has overseen
the successful completion of several of the Genome Project's goals, and now
the full reach for the sequencing component is underway.
Collins founded also a new NIH intramural research program in genome research,
which has now grown to become one of the top research units in human genetics
in the country. His own research laboratory continues to be vitally active,
exploring the molecular genetics of breast cancer, prostate cancer, adult-onset
diabetes, and other disorders. His accomplishments have led to his election
to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, as
well as numerous national and international awards.
Program recording date and length: 2002 ~ 1 Hour 28 Minutes (This study was presented originally at UCLA.)
