Former NIH Director Francis Collins Retires From Agency

The doctor was head of the National Institutes of Health for more than a decade.

Dr. Francis Collins speaks in Washington on Sept. 9, 2020. Michael Reynolds /Pool/Getty Images

Dr. Francis Collins, who led the National Institutes of Health (NIH) when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, has stepped down from the federal government.

Collins said in a March 1 statement that he was retiring. He did not list a reason for his abrupt departure and declined a request for an interview.