Anthony Fauci, MD, said Aug. 22 that he will step down from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in December.
Dr. Fauci will also step down as chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Laboratory of Immunoregulation, and as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, "to pursue the next chapter of my career," he said in a statement.
"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," he said. "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 [the National Institutes of Health] and beyond. To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude."
In recent months, Dr. Fauci has indicated he did not plan to be in his director position at the end of President Biden's current term. He clarified Aug. 22 that he is leaving his current positions but is not retiring.
"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," Dr. Fauci said. "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."
Dr. Fauci, 81, was appointed to the NIAID director role in 1984. and has served under and advised seven presidents. When asked by Politico in July what he wants his legacy to be, he pointed to his efforts regarding HIV/AIDS, including his role as a principal architect of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
In the wake of Dr. Fauci's announcement, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said: "I am privileged to know Dr. Fauci professionally and personally and deeply admire his decades of public service that have undoubtedly improved the health of millions of people globally. When I arrived at HHS, the world was one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. I quickly came to rely on Dr. Fauci's wisdom and counsel in our response, and along with his scientific acumen, I treasure his ability to break down complex science in simple terms to the American people to save lives."