http://www.govexec.comFrancis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In that role he oversees the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, spanning the spectrum from basic to clinical research. Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project, which culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. He served as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH from 1993-2008.en-usWed, 15 May 2013 16:52:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/how-zebrafish-may-hold-key-human-disease/63186/Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 15 May 2013 16:52:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/how-zebrafish-may-hold-key-human-disease/63186/Management - Promising PracticesResearcher Zhaoxia Sun, at Yale, uses the zebrafish to study Polycystic Kidney Disease, which affects more than 600,000 Americans. Mutations in the zebrafish vhnf1 gene, and its human counterpart, cause cysts in both zebrafish and human kidneys.Wikimedia Commonshttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/scientists-make-progress-slowing-diabetes/63047/NIH-funded researchers discover hormone that might slow or stop the progression of diabetes.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 08 May 2013 16:28:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/scientists-make-progress-slowing-diabetes/63047/Management - Promising PracticesImage via Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/double-anniversary-double-helix/62925/It's been 60 years since DNA's discovery and 10 years since it was mapped.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 01 May 2013 16:08:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/05/double-anniversary-double-helix/62925/Management - Promising PracticesImage via Mathagraphics/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/nih-shines-bright-light-cocaine-addiction/62738/New research technique uses lasers to reveal root of addiction.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/nih-shines-bright-light-cocaine-addiction/62738/Management - Promising PracticesOptogenetic stimulation using laser pulses lights up the prelimbic cortex.Courtesy of Billy Chen and Antonello Boncihttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/brain-now-you-see-it-soon-you-wont/62461/Inside the amazing, and beautiful, new technique allowing us to see inside the brain.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:35:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/brain-now-you-see-it-soon-you-wont/62461/Management - Promising PracticesThis is the hippocampus, a structure important for learning, memory, and emotion. Each color represents a different molecular label; this labeling can happen after the brain is CLARIFied but still fully intact. Kwanghun Chung and Karl Deisseroth, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Stanford Universityhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/big-day-science-welcome-brain-initiative/62245/Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH, would like to tell you about the President's newest initiative.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:13:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/04/big-day-science-welcome-brain-initiative/62245/Management - Promising PracticesDr. Francis Collins spoke at the White House today about the initiative.Charles Dharapak/APhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/brown-fat-white-fat-good-fat-bad-fat/62095/Not all fat is created equal, says NIH Director.Dr. Francis CollinsTue, 26 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/brown-fat-white-fat-good-fat-bad-fat/62095/Management - Promising PracticesPatrick Seale, University of Pennsylvania School of MedicineBrown fat cells (stained brown with antibodies against the brown fat-specific protein Ucp1) nestled in amongst white fat cells.http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/photo-omg-microscope-lives-its-name/62021/Check out this beautiful (and award winning) image from NIH's newest microscope.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:34:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/photo-omg-microscope-lives-its-name/62021/Management - Promising PracticesIndiana Universityhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/new-insight-parkinsons-disease/61836/NIH-funded research may have discovered a key cause of the disease.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:39:00 -0400http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/03/new-insight-parkinsons-disease/61836/Management - Promising PracticesLeft - Healthy neuron with alpha-synuclein (green) protein. Red dots are trash lysosomes with alpha-synuclein entering, hence an orange hue. Right - Sick neuron from LRRK2 brain. Lysosomes are enlarged as the alpha-synuclein is unable to enter the trash.Image courtesy of Samantha Orenstein and Dr. Esperanza Arias, Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New Yorkhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/human-connectome-project-revealed/61574/A look at the NIH-supported effort that’s aimed at revealing the “symphony” that’s happening at the speed of thought within our brains every second of every day.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:08:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/human-connectome-project-revealed/61574/Management - Promising Practiceshumanconnectomeproject.orghttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/what-mouse-taught-us-and-what-it-cant/61380/NIH is looking at a high tech alternative to testing on mice.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:25:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/what-mouse-taught-us-and-what-it-cant/61380/Management - Promising PracticesImage via Yurchyks/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/taking-snapshot-human-immune-system/61257/Thanks to NIH funding, an antibody snapshot could help diagnose immune disorders.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:54:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/02/taking-snapshot-human-immune-system/61257/Management - Promising PracticesImage via Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/nih-advances-push-extreme-personalized-medicine/60794/NIH funding has produced promising new tools for repairing errors in the human genome.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:45:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/nih-advances-push-extreme-personalized-medicine/60794/Management - Promising Practiceshttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/photo-why-were-so-excited-about-stem-cells/60652/Stem cells are not only spectacularly beautiful, they hold spectacular promise for treating diseases like Parkinson's.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/photo-why-were-so-excited-about-stem-cells/60652/Management - Promising PracticesCourtesy of Dr. Ole Isacson, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/tackling-bottlenecks-drug-development-pipeline/60522/The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences is taking steps that could lead to faster, and cheaper, drug development cycles.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/tackling-bottlenecks-drug-development-pipeline/60522/Management - Promising PracticesImage via jordache/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/are-you-getting-enough-sleep/60421/Lack of sleep has been linked to a variety of health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:26:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/are-you-getting-enough-sleep/60421/Management - Promising PracticesImage via Glovatskiy/Shutterstock.comhttp://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2012/12/helping-researchers-devastated-superstorm-sandy/60129/The NIH is helping scientists cope with the storm's devastation of research facilities at New York University.Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:01:00 -0500http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2012/12/helping-researchers-devastated-superstorm-sandy/60129/Management - Promising Practices Photo courtesy of CIMSS/University Wisconsin-Madison/NASA/NOAA