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AAMC Praises Nomination of Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., to be New NIH Director

For Immediate Release

News Release

Contact: Retha Sherrod
202-828-0975
rsherrod@aamc.org

Washington, D.C., July 8, 2009—AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement today on President Obama's nomination of Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., to be the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

"The nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals are very pleased that President Obama's nominee to be the 16th director of the National Institutes of Health is Dr. Francis Collins. He is an exceptional scientist, administrator, and communicator. Dr. Collins' brilliant leadership of the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium resulted in the successful completion of the project ahead of schedule and under budget. His skillful direction of this collaborative venture—one of the greatest technical, scientific, and management accomplishments of our lifetime—is just one example of the expertise he will bring to the NIH and its 27 institutes and centers. In addition, Dr. Collins has written eloquently about the potential of medical research to transform how we think about health and health care.

America is very fortunate to have a scientist of Dr. Collins' experience, understanding, and vision willing to serve as leader of the world's foremost biomedical and behavioral research enterprise. The AAMC looks forward to working with Dr. Collins as he leads the NIH forward in this period of tremendous scientific potential and fiscal, administrative, and research challenges."

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 131 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students, and 110,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.