Dr Anthony Fauci, who became a household name during COVID-19 pandemic, to retire in December
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 22, 2022, 11:20 PM ISTTop infectious disease expert in the United States, Dr Anthony Fauci announced on Monday that he will step down in December for the "next chapter" of his career.
Top infectious disease expert in the United States, Dr Anthony Fauci, who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced on Monday that he will step down in December for the "next chapter" of his career.
The 81-year-old doctor has served as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief medical advisor to US Vice President Joe Biden since 1984.
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"I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden in December this year to pursue the next chapter of my career," Fauci said on Monday, calling these roles the honour of his lifetime.
He was chosen in 2020 to represent US government attempts to control the deadly COVID-19 epidemic. Fauci stated that over his 38 years as director of NIAID, he has worked on a variety of newly and re-emerging infectious disease threats, such as Ebola, Zika, West Nile virus, anthrax assaults, pandemic influenza, and numerous bird influenza threats.
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"I am particularly proud to have served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden since the very first day of his administration," he said.
Fauci stated that he intends to mentor and inspire the upcoming generation of scientific leaders by drawing on his expertise as the director of the NIAID.
Ronald Reagan was the first US President Fauci worked under. The former Donald Trump administration, however, marginalised him, and he even faced political insults and death threats.
Biden showered his chief medical advisor with admiration, praising him for his unwavering dedication to his job as well as his unmatched passion, vitality, and scientific integrity.
"For almost four decades, he has served as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, helping our country navigate health crises ranging from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19. Because of Dr Fauci's many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved," Biden said.
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"When it came time to build a team to lead our COVID-19 response, in one of my first calls as President-elect - I immediately asked Dr Fauci to extend his service as my Chief Medical Advisor to deal with the COVID-19 crisis our nation faced. In that role, I've been able to call him at any hour of the day for his advice as we've tackled this once-in-a-generation pandemic," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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