Anthony Fauci to Step Down as White House Medical Advisor

Fauci will depart his position in December.

Fauci will depart his position in December.

Since the 1980s, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci has served as the official medical advisor to the White House, working under seven different US Presidents. At 81 years of age, Fauci has seen some of the biggest medical events of the last 50 years, including the AIDS/HIV epidemic, anthrax attacks, and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.

After many years in service, Fauci announced today that, at the end of 2022, he will be stepping down from his position as White House medical advisor to seek the next chapter of his medical career. “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 a 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.”

“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,” he said. “To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”

“During my time as Vice President, I worked closely with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the United States’ response to Zika and Ebola,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “I came to know him 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.”