In recognition of his extraordinary work on the CF gene and identification of the human genome, the Will Rogers Institute (WRI) honored Dr. Collins with the inaugural "Annual Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Lung Research." The $50,000 award, and rare and special prize in the pulmonary field, was presented at the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation board of directors meeting in December.

It is impossible to over estimate the effect Dr. Francis S. Collins work has had on public health. Fifty years ago, children living with cystic fibrosis (CF) would not have been expected to live past their early teens. Thanks to the research work of Dr. Collins, and the subsequent advancement in treatment, people can now expect to live into their thirties, forties and beyond.

Dr. Collins seminal research led to the identification of the CF gene and its protein product, CFTR. Mutation of the gene results in CF, a chronic disease that attacks the lungs and other organs. It is estimated that 30,000 children and adults in the United States struggle with cystic fibrosis. More than 10 million Americans are unknowing, symptom-free carriers of the disease, which can only be identified by genetic testing. Dr. Collins work has also proved to be a motivator for advancements in many other genetic investigations including type 2 diabetes, neurofibromatosis and Huntington's disease.

Dr. Edward Crandall, PhD, MD, medical advisor to the Will Rogers Institute and Hastings Professor and Norris Chair of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), stated “Dr. Collins was chosen by the WRI as the first recipient of the prize because his work has consistently produced outstanding and influential research that has been published in the foremost peer-review journals.  He maintains a very important leadership role in his field, and is held in the highest esteem by scientists and clinicians throughout the world.”

As further testament to the importance of his work, on November 5, 2007 President George W. Bush presented Dr. Collins with the Medal of Freedom, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, for his contribution to genetic research.  The Human Genome Project identified the genes in human DNA, stored the data and made it available for research. This project alone has revolutionized genetic research.

A native of the east coast, Dr. Collins studied chemistry at the University of Virginia (BS) and Yale University (PhD) and received his MD from the University of North Carolina.  He undertook residency training in medicine at North Carolina before returning to Yale as a Fellow in Human Genetics from 1981 to 1984.  Dr. Collins was appointed Director of the National Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health in 1993.

What is cystic fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system and causes mucus in the body to become thick and sticky making it difficult to breathe and digest food properly.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease inherited by a specific gene from both parents and usually diagnosed at an early age.

What are the signs and symptoms of CF?

• Very salty-tasting skin
  
• Persistent cough, often with phlegm
  
• Frequent lung infections
  
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
  
• Poor weight gain and growth with good appetite
• Frequent greasy, bulky stools
• Small, fleshy growths in the nose
  

For more information about CF, please contact the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org or call (800) 344-4823.  Or visit the National Human Genome Research Institute or the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.