Francis Collins

… to the president for Leg Affairs), Sens Gregg, Congressmen Burr, Turner Cox, Tauzin, Sen Collins; Sally Stansfield, Stewart Simonson, Carol Kuntz. The President walked in during the meeting and greeted the Congressmen and gave me a special warm greeting saying that the …

… side activities. I was “interviewed” by Alan Slobodin as was Andy von Eschenbach, Francis Collins, Don Lindberg and ethics offices about “lecture awards”. Does not appear to be a problem for me, but they will likely force much greater restrictions on outside activities. …

… ve. I do not want to give up my solid base of scientific credibility. I hear that Francis Collins is aggressively campaigning for the job of NIH Director – not surprising.

… Wolf Blitzer (CNN), Bob Barnett, George Will, Ellen and Gerry Sigal (told me that Francis Collins is “aggressively” campaigning for the job of NIH Director. I told her that I preferred to stay at NIAID.), Bob Mueller (FBI), Gen. James Jones (new National Security Adviso …

… attendance: Don Graham and Dana Priest (Washington Post); Beth and Ron Dozoretz; Francis Collins; Rick Atkinson (War Historian and best-selling author); died in Jan., 2009 of hep. B/Cirrhosis-related hepatoma. I was very involved with Brenda in his terminal care and at …

Had dinner with Chris over Francis and Diane Collins’s house with Regina Benjamin, the newly appointed Surgeon General. Pleasant, but I believe that she is going to be a non-entity. She is a bit over her head. The H1N1 pandem …

… search Summit held at NIH (Fisher’s Lane) with big hitters attending. Convened by Francis Collins to flesh out suggestions for his Global Health Initiative as one of the 5 pillars of his tenure. Jack Lew from State was there as were Eric Goosby, Zeke Emanuel representin …

… burn Building: 1) Appropriation Subcommittee chaired by David Obey. I accompanied Francis Collins along with Tom Insel (NIMH) and Griff Rogers (NIDDK) to testify. Friendly Hearing but budget is depressing – flat. 2) in the late afternoon – House Energy and Commerce Heal …

… lational Research; 3) Research involved in enhancing health care reform. All day. Francis Collins clearly is trying to steer the NIH towards his themes. “Everybody wants to be somebody.” The meeting was geared to figure out how to spend Common Fund Money and how to move …

Met with Francis Collins, Harold Varmus (recently announced as new NCI Director, John Burklow (OC for OD), Kathy Hudson, and Pat White (Leg for NIH OD) regarding the disturbing Administration polic …

… ation at The White House and participated in panel led by Eric Goosby together with Chris Collins, Ada Adamora, Jennifer Cates. My thene was 1) Optimizations of Therapy; 2) Go for a cure; and 3) Maximize prevention.

… ew Board (SMRB) of NIH (of which I am a member) has been and continues to discuss Francis Collins’ intention of merging NIDA and NIAAA, dissolving NCRR, as well as and more importantly creating a National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (NCATS) at NI …

… ut discretionary spending back to 2008 level, which would be devastating for NIH. Francis Collins trying to push the NCATS (National Center for Advancing Translational Science). I think this is a big mistake (“everybody wants to be somebody”). This is no time to initiat …

… m words (see files) about the relationship between HRC and me and then introduced Francis Collins who introduced her. She gave a great delivery of the speech that I helped write. Overwhelmingly positive response from audience and press and bloggers immediately after. I …

… all a moratorium for 60 days and see what the Geneva meeting brings. Furthermore, Francis Collins and I called Bruce Alberts (Science) and Phil Campbell (Nature) and convinced them to delay the publication until at least March. Fouchier came out with a press statement o …

… 2. Present at the meeting: John Brennan (Chief, NSS), Heidi Avery (Deputy Chief), Francis Collins, Amy Patterson, Bill Corr (Deputy Secretary-HHS), Sally Howard (Chief-of-Staff to Sebelius), Bill Shultz (OGC-HHS). NSS concern was what we would agree to or not at the Gen …

… eed), Laura Holgate and Brian Kamoi from NSS, Kris Beardsley (more of her later), Francis Collins, Amy Patterson, Nancy Ann De Parle, Bill Shultz (HHS OGC), Bill Corr (Deputy HHS Sec.). Feb. 21-24, 2012 – had conversations and e-mail exchanges with Ron Fouchier trying t …

… he Hearing was confined to a discussion about NCATS. Only official witnesses were Francis Collins and Tom Insel (Director NIMH) who was there in his capacity as Acting Director of NCATS. Harold Varmus and I were there as “token” attendees for rest of NIH. It was a disgr …

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing for NIH. Francis Collins, me, Varmus, Griffin, Insel, Hodes. Too bad that these hearing are only a total of 2 hours when we used to have 2 hours for NIAID alone. I got questions on the H5N1 issue. …

… e beginning, not the end of this type of scientific and policy conflict. As a said to Dr. Collins toward the conclusion of the March meeting, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes sitting before a Congressional hearing trying to explain why the NSABB and likely the USG sup …

… ternoon, April 20; however, in order to half- way not offend the Dutch, they have Francis Collins announce on the NIH Website that the Secretary has accepted the recommendations of the NSABB to publish without her actually saying it. Meanwhile, the bloggers (Helen Brans …

… nd Government Affairs Committee today. Chair – Joe Lieberman and ranking minority – Susan Collins (R- Maine). Other witnesses were Dan Gerstein (DHS), Paul Keim (NSABB) and Tom Inglesby (Univ. of Pittsburgh). Lieberman started the Hearing by stating that I was his “hero …

… n Gadfly) came to the microphone and said that many virologists who disagree with Francis Collins and me about doing DURC are afraid to speak up because they fear retribution and will not get their grants funded – Holy Shit!! The epitomy of paranoia. This is not the fir …

… me pre-print of Commentary that will appear in Science at the same time as my and Francis Collins’ article. Barry’s co-author is the ever crazy Lone Simonson. They are proposing that the USG create an Interagency Committee with final authoritative power to decide what D …

… mmals research on highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza. We (ASF, May Patterson, Francis Collins, Larry Tabak and the HHS crew led by Sally Howard, Chief-of-Staff to Sebelius and Bill Corr, Deputy Secretary, HHS) have been working for several weeks on a meeting-working …

… it was portrayed in the series. That would have to be FBI. Other guests included Francis Collins, Congressman John Dingell and his wife Debbie and others.

… with knowledge in the field. Participants included John Montague his wife Annie, Francis Collins, Tom Frieden, Peggy Hamburg, a woman from the State Department (Laurie) who worked in the Clinton Administration, Nils Daulaire, and a number of other people. The plan disc …

Met with Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) in Building 1 together with Francis Collins, Griff Rogers, Gary Gibbons. Harris is a Tea Party person who is second rank on House Appropriations Subcommittee behind Chairman Kingston. Funny interchange since Harris b …

Informed by Francis Collins that he spoke with Bill Corr (Deputy HHS Secretary) about the issue of my being muzzled, almost certainly because Tom Frieden and the CDC want the spotlight on the H7N9 sto …

… s and 31 deaths total. HHS is now allowing me to do press on this without hassle. Francis Collins meeting with Bill Corr has apparently worked (see above). Went to cocktail reception/book signing for Paul Farmer’s new book – “To Repair the World” at home of Greg and Der …

Went to the Capitol with Francis Collins to meet with the House Majority Whip – Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Kevin is very interested in the problem of Valley Fever (Coccicioidomycosis) in his district of Ba …

… ers (R-NC). Tim Murphy (R-PA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). NIH was represented by me, Francis Collins, Gary Gibbons, Eric Green, Chris Austin, Larry Tabak, Kathy Hudson, John Gallin. We were trying (successfully) to familiarize them with the NIH and what we do. Also, to imp …

… d at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing for NIH today. Testified with Francis Collins, Harold Varmus, Story Landis, Richard Hodes and Gary Gibbons. Friendly Hearing. Asked me questions about DURC, Antibiotic resistant bacteria, H7N9 influenza pre-pandemic, u …

… Heads of International Research organizations (HIRO) at the Hyatt Bethesda Hotel. Francis Collins is the Chair this year and so they meet in the USA. Francis asked me to be the after dinner speaker with Eric Goosby. I spoke about the threat of MERS-CoV and H7N9 Influenz …

… uss the exciting things in research such as universal flu vaccine. Also there was Francis Collins, Story Landis and Gary Gibbons. We must have done some good since the next day Sen. Reid came out with a statement that the sequester should exclude NIH.

… Lecture and tour the NIH yesterday, but it was cancelled because of USG shutdown. Francis Collins, Harold Varmus and I went to the Gates office in DC at 1300 I Street, N.W. to meet with him at 9:00 AM. Francis, Harold and I met at Starbuck’s at 1225 – I Street, N.W. at …

… m Award. This award is given every year. Over the past 3 years it has been won by Francis Collins, Paul Farmer, and Bill Clinton. The dinner gala was held in the Whale Room of the Museum of Natural History. All the elite of the biotech world, the pharmaceutical world, a …

… l Gates visited NIH to deliver Barnes Lecture and to be shown around NIH: Gates – Francis Collins, I, and Clif Barry showed Bill Gates around the BSL-3 containment facility in Building 33 where we do experiment on marmosets with drug- resistant TB. Clif does drug screen …

… esearch. The FDA presentation was made by Dr. Peter Lurie. In attendance were Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Peggy Hamburg, members of the FDA, as well as members of the NIH. This is an initiative in which we will be engaging industry in trying to get expedited approval for a …

Testified at the House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing with Francis Collins, Harold Varmus, Story Landis, Gary Gibbons. Chairman Kingston stayed for 10 minutes and then handed Chair to Dr. Andy Harris (R-MD). Harris questioned me on why we are spen …