Dr Fauci plans to step down in December

Editor's Note

On Monday, August 22, Dr Anthony Fauci announced he will step down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health and as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden in December 2022.

"While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring," Fauci said. "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."

He did not specify what his future plans are. Initially, Dr Fauci had said he planned on stepping down by the end of President Biden’s term in office in January 2025.

Dr Fauci’s career at NIAID began in 1968, and he became director in 1984. Fauci has been President Biden’s chief medical adviser since January 2021. He has played a critical role in over 4 decades of US response to many public health crises, including the most recent COVID-19 pandemic.

President Biden described Dr Fauci as "a dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises."