Groundbreaking Geneticist; National Institutes of Health Distinguished Investigator, Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH); Former NIH Director
Dr. Francis Collins Biography
Dr. Francis Collins is a physician and geneticist known for his landmark discoveries of disease genes, for leading the Human Genome Project, for his 12 years as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and for championing the harmony of science and faith. He founded BioLogos and currently serves that Foundation as a Senior Fellow. He continues to run an active research laboratory in the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH.
Formerly an atheist, Collins became a Christian in his 20s after realizing that perspective did not provide answers to profound questions about the meaning of life and was also 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 appointment as NIH Director. BioLogos continues to flourish as a non-profit meeting-place for productive and civil discussions about science and faith.
Collins is one of the best-known scientists of the current era. With him at the helm from 1993 - 2003, the Human Genome Project produced a finished sequence of human DNA. He then used this new data to help create powerful tools and strategies to advance biological knowledge about humans and improve their health. Along with his research, Collins has also stressed the importance of considering the ethical and legal issues surrounding genetics.
Collins served as NIH Director under three Presidents (Obama, Trump, and Biden), stepping down in December 2021 after guiding the nation’s biomedical research in everything from basic science to clinical trials, including a historic series of research partnerships addressing diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, neuroscience, precision medicine, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, after 15 months as Acting Science Advisor and Special Projects Advisor to President Biden, Collins has returned to his research laboratory at NIH, investigating genetic factors in diabetes and premature aging.
Collins received a Bachelor of Science degree 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 published "The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust" in 2024.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dr. Francis Collins and other top speakers and celebrities.
Dr. Francis Collins Videos
Dr. Francis Collins - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Dr. Francis Collins tells Stephen Colbert that more lives could have been saved during the pandemic if Americans had been less skeptical about...
-
How do I book Dr. Francis Collins to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Francis Collins for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Francis Collins, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Francis Collins or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Dr. Francis Collins
Speaking fees for Dr. Francis Collins, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dr. Francis Collins are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Francis Collins, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Dr. Francis Collins speak about?
Dr. Francis Collins is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Cancer, Civil Rights, Economy, Genetics, Health & Wellness, Healthcare, Innovation, Medicine, Nutrition, Political, Public Health, Research & Exploration, Science, Social Activism, Social Justice, Technology, TED -
Where does Dr. Francis Collins travel from?
Dr. Francis Collins generally travels from Bethesda, MD, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Dr. Francis Collins’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Dr. Francis Collins for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dr. Francis Collins for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dr. Francis Collins or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Dr. Francis Collins is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dr. Francis Collins for your event is available upon request. Dr. Francis Collins generally travels from Bethesda, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Joel Selanikio, Toby Cosgrove, Seth Berkley, Dr. Paul Wolpe and David Agus. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dr. Francis Collins for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








