WASHINGTON — Dr. Francis Collins, who helped decode human DNA and build bridges between scientists and religious believers, will resign as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute Aug. 1.
An evangelical Christian, Collins has headed the institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, since 1993. He said May 28 that he will take time off "to write, to reflect, to spend some time trying to identify the next opportunity for service."
Collins, 58, accomplished much in the field of genetic research, from mapping human DNA, which he called "the book of human life," to identifying genetic risk factors for diabetes and other diseases.
Collins’ best-selling 2006 book, "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief," was credited with forging common ground between evangelical Christians and scientists.
"Certainly in this science-and-faith discussion, we’ve had an awful lot of people talking past each other," Collins told Religion News Service in 2006. "It’s a tragic situation."
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