“It was an honor to lead such an extraordinary institution for so long with so many challenges in the fields of science and public health. I am proud of the many things we have achieved. I’ve worked with – and learned from – countless talented and dedicated people in my own lab, at the NIAID, the national health services and beyond. I want to express my eternal respect and gratitude to them,” Fauci said in a statement on Monday.
Fauci has been an advisor to seven US presidents in his long career, starting with Ronald Reagan. Over the years, he has had to deal with HIV and AIDS, the West Nile virus, anthrax attacks (anthrax), pandemic flu, all kinds of bird flu, Ebola, Zika and recently, of course, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
Although Fauci will stop working for the government at the end of this year, he does not think about enjoying his retirement in silence. “I plan to move on to the next phase of my career because I still have so much energy and passion for my field.” The NIAID chief promised to continue to actively put everything he has learned and experienced at the service of scientific medical research and public health.