Fauci Stepping Down After Half-Century in Public Service

Anthony Fauci, MD, will step down in December from his positions as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), as President Biden’s chief medical advisor, and as chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation.

Fauci, the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been at the helm of NIAID for nearly four decades and has served under seven presidents, beginning with Ronald Reagan.

He insists, however, that he is not retiring, according to a statement published on the NIH website.

“After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in the statement. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.”

Fauci told the New York Times he would fill his time with traveling, writing, and encouraging young people to pursue government careers.

In a statement, President Biden thanked Fauci for his service and called him a “dedicated public servant,” noting that in addition to COVID-19, they had previously worked closely together on the U.S. response to Zika and Ebola.

“His commitment to the work is unwavering, and he does it with an unparalleled spirit, energy, and scientific integrity,” Biden said in the statement.

Fauci joined the NIH in 1968 — more than a half-century ago — and became NIAID director in 1984, during a critical time in the country’s AIDS epidemic. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 under President George W. Bush.

He became the face of the U.S. COVID-19 response, trusted by the scientific community for information about the virus, particularly in the early days of the pandemic when information was frequently obfuscated by the Trump administration. At the same time, his role turned him into a political lightning rod, with attacks and threats that required a substantial security detail. One man pled guilty to making death threats against Fauci.

In June, Fauci tested positive for COVID-19, and experienced a rebound of the virus after recovering.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges,” Fauci said in his statement. “I am very proud of our many accomplishments. I have worked with — and learned from — countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”

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