This is Scientific Americans 60 Second Science. I'm Steve Mursky.

Got a minute?

As somebody who is part of the executive branch and serving in this role which I consider be a great

privilege as director of NIH. I am confident that the convictions that are held

by many Americans and by most members of the Congress that are

one of the many Americans and by most members of the Congress, that biomedical research is one of the most important investments

that our government makes will carry today

and that I think there's no reason for people to commence hand-wringing

by this unexpected turn of events.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health at the offices of Scientific American

and the Nature Journals on November 14th. of the on January 20th. I do think the case for what medical research is doing right now in terms of its

advances in human health, its way of stimulating the economy, which is quite substantial,

and it's achieving American leadership which has made a big difference

over the decades is a sufficiently compelling case that people looking at the evidence all pretty

much come to the conclusion that this is an area that we if anything

ought to enhance and certainly not retrench. So I think the facts and the

circumstances cause me to be quite confident that the area that I've had the privilege of representing will continue to do well regardless of exactly what happens in the course of political events.

You can watch and see if I turn out to be wrong, but that's my position and I'm sticking to it.

As for his own future, I have no idea.

I am appointed by the president.

I like every other presidential appointee

and Senate confirmed a person and required

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