Washington — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s preeminent infectious disease expert who has served under seven presidents, said Monday that he will step down from his post in December to pursue the “next chapter” of his career.
“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,” Fauci said in a statement.
President Biden thanked Fauci for his years of government service, calling him 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.”
“Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved,” Mr. 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.”
Fauci said he is not retiring, and plans to “pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.