Dr. Fauci Will Soon Be Stepping Down as America's Doctor

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief medical officer to President Joe Biden, announced today that after over 40 years with the federal government, he will be leaving the Biden administration in December.

"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. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career," Fauci said in a statement released by the NIAID.

Fauci added, “Over the past 38 years as NIAID Director, I have had the enormous privilege of serving under and advising seven Presidents of the United States, beginning with President Ronald Reagan, on newly emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats including HIV/AIDS, West Nile virus, the anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola and Zika, among others, and, of course, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. I am particularly proud to have served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden since the very first day of his administration.”

In response to the announcement, President Joe Biden thanked Fauci in a statement from the White House. 

"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.  "As he leaves his position in the U.S. Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next. Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work."

Fauci has spoken with The Advocate several times in the past about his future. In March, he said the fight to find a cure HIV/AIDS was “very personal for me.” Fauci also emphasized that he has “not pulled back one bit, and not in the least, on his enthusiasm, passion, and efforts toward HIV/AIDS.”

Last month, when rumors started to spread about Fauci retiring, he reaffirmed his commitment to HIV/AIDS telling The Advocate's sibling publication Plus Magazine that he would retire from the federal government and pursue his research and work in a different venue. He cited continuing to work on what he’s working on now, public and global health, and his unwavering commitment to the fight against HIV.

For the 40th anniversary of the first HIV/AIDS cases in 1981, Fauci said working on HIV/AIDS had "been my life's work." 

Fauci ended his statement today saying, “Thanks to the power of science and investments in research and innovation, the world has been able to fight deadly diseases and help save lives around the globe. I am proud to have been part of this important work and look forward to helping to continue to do so in the future.”

The medical expert told Plus that he hadn't made a decision on whether he’ll take a research job in the private sector or at an academic institution. He said he'd continue his work in some way, focusing on diseases that affect the LGBTQ+ community.

"I’m not ending my work," he explained. "I’m just reemerging somewhere else."