Speaker - Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D
Chief Science Advisor To The President
Author, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief
Dr. Francis Collins is a physician and geneticist known for his landmark discoveries of disease genes, for spearheading the Human Genome Project, for championing the harmony of science and faith, and for his 12 years of leadership of the National Institutes of Health under three Presidents (Obama, Trump, and Biden). Collins stepped down in December 2021 after guiding the nation’s biomedical research in everything from basic science to clinical trials, including a dramatically successful series of research partnerships addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. He was asked by President Biden to serve as Acting Science Advisor to the President in February 2022, and he continues to lead his research group as a senior investigator in the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Formerly an atheist, Collins became a Christian in his 20s after realizing his perspective did not provide answers to profound questions about the meaning of life, and was inconsistent with observations about the nature of the universe and humankind. He wrote about finding harmony between the scientific and spiritual worldviews in The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, which spent 20 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Collins coined the term BioLogos to define the conclusions he reached about how life, or bios, came about through God’s word, or logos. He founded the BioLogos Foundation in November 2007 and served as its president until required to resign by his Presidential appointment as NIH Director. BioLogos (www.biologos.org) continues to flourish as a non-profit meeting-place for productive and civil discussions about science and faith.
Collins received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia, a doctorate in physical chemistry from Yale University and a medical degree from The University of North Carolina. He is an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2007, and received the National Medal of Science in 2009. In 2020, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (UK) and was also named the 50th winner of the Templeton Prize, which celebrates scientific and spiritual curiosity.
In addition to his book on science and faith, Collins has authored a book on personalized medicine, “The Language of Life”, published by HarperCollins in January 2010. He also assembled an anthology of selected readings on faith and reason, entitled “Belief”, that was published by HarperOne in March 2010. He is currently at work on a book about the critical need for faith communities to anchor their decisions and perspectives on the enduring values of love, goodness, and truth.
Special Music
Ashli Rice, Songwriter & Recording Artist