Dr. Francis Collins Stepping Down as Head of NIH

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, appears before a Senate hearing to discuss vaccines, in Washington, on Sept. 9, 2020. Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images

The head of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is stepping down amid lingering questions regarding his agency’s funding of research in China.

Dr. Francis Collins has served as NIH director for over 12 years in a tenure that has spanned three administrations.