NIH Director: China Leads U.S. in Genomic Research

The United States has fallen woefully behind China when it comes to genomic research, according to National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, M.D.

“While we, the United States, led the Human Genome Project and from that derived great benefit—the return on that investment was 178 to 1 in terms of economic growth—and yet if you ask me now where is the largest investment in genomics in the world, it is not in the United States. It is in, Shenzhen, China,” said Collins during a Sept. 10 roundtable discussion on 21st century cures hosted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.