Chris Wigley: The journey to the Human Genome Project and beyond with Dr Francis Collins

Behind the Genes

In this episode of the G Word, Chris Wigley, CEO at Genomics England, is joined by renowned physician-geneticist, Dr Francis Collins, best known for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his previous leadership of the international Human Genome Project. Dr Collins currently serves as a Senior Investigator in the intramural program of the National Human Genome Research Institute and as a Senior Advisor to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director. Dr Collins is the longest serving Presidentially-appointed director of the NIH (2009-2021).

Beyond his work on the Human Genome Project, Dr Collins has made significant contributions to advancing medical research and precision medicine. He has been a strong advocate for the responsible application of genomics in healthcare and has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to science and medicine. In this episode, he speaks to Chris Wigley about his journey from eager Chemistry student to co-leader of the landmark Human Genome Project and his thoughts on what's next in the world of genomics.

You can read the transcript here: Chris-Wigley-interview-with-Francis-Collins.docx

"My dream, Chris, is that we come up with, in the next decade, a scalable approach to every genetic disease where you know the mutation."