Peking University, Oct. 22, 2010: On Oct.14, Dr. Francis Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH), and his delegation paid a visit to Peking University (PKU) Health Science Center.
During the visit, Dr. Francis Collins gave a speech in the title of “Exceptional Opportunities in Biomedical Research” in the lecture hall of Yifu Building. More than 200 teachers and students attended the lecture. His wonderful speech was heartily welcomed by the audience, who came up with many interesting questions ranging from gene therapy, multi-disciplinary and collaborative research, prospects of AIDS treatment, etc. Dr. Francis Collins answered each question elaborately and humorously based on his own research as well as other NIH scholars’.
Dr. Francis Collins' lecture at PKU Health Science Center
Subsequently, NIH held a reception to the NIH alumni in China at PKU Health Science Center. About 60 people attended the conference, including NIH alumni in China and scholars of PKU. With Dr. Francis Collins and Roger Glass, Director of NIH Forgarty International Center, PKU scholars exchanged opinions on biomedical research and how to apply for the research fund of NIH Forgarty International Center during the reception.
In the evening, Prof. Han Qide, Vice Chairman of NPC and President of PKU Health Science Center, hosted a banquet for Dr. Francis Collins and his delegation. In the welcome dinner, Dr. Collins showed great appreciation on the guitar performance which was arranged specially, and gave an improvising singing performance as well, the brilliance of which won passionate applause from audiences.
All the participants of this academic exchange hoped that this visit could become an opportunity to both sides to build a more extensive partnership on scientific research, academic exchange, and personnel training in future, and also looked forward to the common progress of future medical scientific.
Additional Information
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) , a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency. It is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs by funding thousands of scientists in universities and research institutions in every state across America and around the globe. NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. The organization is made up of 27 institutes and centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project, serving as sixteenth president of NIH since August 2009, nominated by President Obama and approved by the Senate. He is regarded as "our era one of the most successful scientists" by Endocrine Society. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007. In a White House ceremony on Oct. 7, 2009, Dr. Collins received the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed on scientists by the United States government.
Translated by: LI Xiaomeng
Edited by: Su Juan
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
