Anthony Fauci

Anthony Fauci
Born	Anthony Stephen Fauci 24 12, 1940
Birthplace	New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Physician-scientist, immunologist
Known for	Director of NIAID (1984–2022), HIV/AIDS research, COVID-19 pandemic response, Chief Medical Advisor to the President (2021–2022)
Education	Cornell University (M.D.)
Children	3
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2008)

Anthony Stephen Fauci (born December 24, 1940) is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, making him one of the longest-serving heads of any major federal agency in United States history. Over a career spanning more than five decades in public health, Fauci advised every U.S. president from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden on matters of infectious disease and public health policy. He became a central figure in the nation's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the Ebola outbreak of 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, for his contributions to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Between 1983 and 2002, Fauci was one of the most frequently cited scientists across all scientific journals worldwide. From January 2021 to December 2022, he also served as Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, a role in which he helped coordinate the federal government's COVID-19 response and vaccination campaign.

Early Life

Anthony Stephen Fauci was born on December 24, 1940, in New York City. He grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bensonhurst in an Italian-American family. His father, Stephen A. Fauci, was a pharmacist, and young Anthony worked in the family pharmacy as a delivery boy during his youth. Growing up in a household connected to medicine and healthcare through the family business provided Fauci with early exposure to the medical profession.

Fauci attended Regis High School, a Jesuit school in Manhattan known for its rigorous academic program. His Jesuit education instilled a sense of intellectual discipline and ethical commitment that he later credited as formative influences on his approach to science and public service. As a young man, Fauci was also an athlete; he was the captain of his high school basketball team despite his relatively modest physical stature.

The combination of his family background in pharmacy, his Jesuit education, and his competitive drive as a student-athlete set the stage for a career defined by scientific rigor and sustained public engagement. His upbringing in a tightly-knit Italian-American community in Brooklyn also shaped his direct and forthright communication style, which would later become a defining characteristic of his public persona during health crises.

Education

Fauci pursued his undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962. At Holy Cross, he studied classics and was a pre-medical student, receiving a broad liberal arts education that complemented his scientific training.

He subsequently enrolled at Cornell University Medical College (now Weill Cornell Medicine) in New York City, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1966. Fauci graduated first in his class at Cornell. After completing his medical degree, he undertook his internship and residency at the New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center, completing his clinical training before transitioning into research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In 1968, Fauci joined the NIH as a clinical associate at the NIAID, beginning what would become a career of more than fifty years at the institution. His early research at the NIH focused on the human immune system and the mechanisms underlying immunoregulation, work that would lay the foundation for his later contributions to understanding immunodeficiency diseases.

Career

Early Research and Immunology

Upon joining the NIAID in 1968, Fauci began conducting research on the human immune response, with particular focus on the mechanisms of immunologically mediated diseases. His early work centered on vasculitis syndromes and other inflammatory conditions. Fauci developed effective therapies for formerly fatal diseases such as polyarteritis nodosa, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis), and lymphomatoid granulomatosis.

His research into the regulation of the human immune response proved foundational to the field of immunology. Through a series of studies, Fauci elucidated the mechanisms by which immunosuppressive agents modulate the human immune response, contributing to the understanding of how the immune system can be both activated and suppressed. This body of work established him as a leading figure in immunology and positioned him to play a central role in the scientific response to new infectious disease threats.

Director of NIAID

On November 2, 1984, Fauci was appointed director of the NIAID, succeeding Richard M. Krause. He would hold this position for 38 years, until his retirement on December 31, 2022. As director, Fauci oversaw an extensive research portfolio dedicated to preventing, diagnosing, and treating infectious and immune-mediated diseases. Under his leadership, NIAID's annual budget grew substantially, supporting research programs in areas including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, Ebola, Zika virus, and respiratory infections.

Throughout his tenure, Fauci was known for continuing to operate his own laboratory at the NIH while simultaneously directing the institute — an unusual arrangement that reflected his commitment to maintaining an active presence in scientific research alongside his administrative responsibilities.

Fauci's successor as NIAID director was Jeanne Marrazzo, who assumed the position after Fauci's departure.

HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Fauci's role in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which emerged in the early 1980s, became one of the defining chapters of his career. As the epidemic unfolded, Fauci redirected much of NIAID's research efforts toward understanding the newly identified virus and its effects on the immune system. He made significant contributions to understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of HIV and the body's immune response to the virus.

In the early years of the crisis, Fauci faced intense criticism from AIDS activists, most notably the playwright and activist Larry Kramer, who publicly attacked him for what they perceived as an inadequate and slow federal response to the epidemic. Kramer famously called Fauci a "murderer" and an "incompetent idiot" in open letters and public statements. However, rather than dismissing the activists, Fauci engaged with them, ultimately forging a productive relationship with Kramer and the broader AIDS activist community. This engagement led to changes in how clinical trials were designed and how patients could access experimental treatments.

The complex relationship between Fauci and Kramer became the subject of a 2026 theatrical production titled Kramer/Fauci, directed by Daniel Fish, which was based on a verbatim staging of a C-SPAN segment featuring the two men. The production explored the dynamics of their sparring match and the broader context of public debate during the AIDS crisis.

Fauci also played a key role in the development of PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush. PEPFAR became the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, providing antiretroviral treatment, care, and prevention services to millions of people affected by HIV/AIDS in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It was for his work on PEPFAR that Fauci received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.

Ebola Response

During the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Fauci served as a prominent public face of the U.S. government's response. He testified before Congress on the outbreak and the federal government's preparedness efforts, providing expert guidance on the risks posed by the virus and the measures necessary to contain its spread.

Fauci's public communications during the Ebola crisis emphasized evidence-based approaches and sought to counteract public fear with factual information about the virus's transmission and the effectiveness of containment measures. His role during this period further solidified his position as a trusted voice in public health emergencies.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, brought Fauci unprecedented public visibility. In late February 2020, President Donald Trump announced the formation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and Fauci served as one of its lead members.

From the early days of the pandemic, Fauci became one of the most prominent figures in the national response, providing regular briefings and media appearances in which he offered scientific assessments of the outbreak's trajectory. In March 2020, he told the U.S. Congress and public media that the outbreak was "going to get worse" in the United States, urging swift action to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Fauci's public statements during the pandemic sometimes stood in contrast to the messaging of President Trump, creating a highly visible tension between the scientific and political dimensions of the crisis. His emphasis on the severity of the virus, the importance of social distancing measures, and the need for mask-wearing diverged from the more optimistic assessments offered by the president. Supporters of President Trump alleged that Fauci was attempting to politically undermine Trump's reelection campaign, while public health advocates argued that Fauci was fulfilling his obligation to provide accurate scientific information regardless of political considerations.

Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January 2021, Fauci assumed the newly formalized role of Chief Medical Advisor to the President, in addition to continuing as NIAID director. In this dual capacity, he served as one of the lead members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, helping to coordinate the federal vaccination campaign and ongoing pandemic mitigation efforts. He held both positions until his retirement on December 31, 2022.

Post-Government Career

Following his retirement from federal service, Fauci has continued to engage publicly on matters of infectious disease and public health. In October 2025, he participated in the Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he shared insights from his five decades of public service as a global health leader, physician, and advisor to seven U.S. presidents.

In November 2025, Fauci spoke at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, drawing on decades of experience in a public conversation about science, public health, and civic engagement.

In February 2026, Fauci discussed progress toward an HIV cure and the importance of renewed trust in medical research during a public appearance in Boston.

Congressional Investigations

Following his departure from government, Fauci became the subject of ongoing congressional scrutiny. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who had clashed with Fauci during Senate hearings throughout the pandemic, continued to pursue inquiries into Fauci's conduct as NIAID director. In September 2025, Paul, serving as Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, formally called Fauci to testify before the committee, citing what he described as new evidence that Fauci had deleted official records.

In July 2025, Paul renewed his referral of Fauci to the United States Department of Justice for what he described as potential criminal prosecution.

Personal Life

Anthony Fauci has three children. He resides in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where he has lived since joining the NIH in 1968.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci became one of the most recognizable figures in American public life, a status that brought both public admiration and intense personal scrutiny. He and his family received death threats during the pandemic, necessitating a security detail.

Fauci has spoken publicly about the influence of his Jesuit education on his approach to ethics and public service, and has cited his upbringing in a close-knit Italian-American family as a formative influence on his character and communication style.

Recognition

Fauci has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. The most significant of these is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to him by President George W. Bush in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to the PEPFAR program and his broader work in combating HIV/AIDS globally.

Between 1983 and 2002, Fauci was one of the most frequently cited scientists across all scientific journals in the world, according to the Institute for Scientific Information.

Fauci has been inducted into the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Hall of Fame. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Immunologists.

He has been awarded the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine.

In 2025, the Infectious Diseases Society of America named its Courage in Leadership Award after Fauci. The inaugural Anthony Fauci Courage in Leadership Award was presented to H. Keipp Talbot, M.D., M.P.H., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Fauci has received numerous honorary degrees from institutions including Colgate University, which awarded him an honorary degree in 1996.

His decades of public appearances before Congress and in media are documented in an extensive archive of C-SPAN appearances spanning multiple administrations.

Legacy

Anthony Fauci's career at the intersection of scientific research and public health policy spans more than five decades and encompasses several of the most consequential infectious disease crises of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His tenure as NIAID director from 1984 to 2022 represents one of the longest periods of continuous leadership at a major U.S. federal research institution.

Fauci's approach to the HIV/AIDS crisis — marked by an initial period of tension with activists followed by substantive engagement and policy reform — became a model for the relationship between government health agencies and patient advocacy groups. His willingness to listen to activists like Larry Kramer and incorporate their concerns into the design of clinical trials and drug approval processes helped reshape federal approaches to experimental treatment access. The 2026 theatrical production Kramer/Fauci reflected the enduring significance of this relationship in the history of American public health and civil society.

His contributions to PEPFAR helped establish a global framework for combating HIV/AIDS in the developing world, and the program is credited with saving millions of lives in Africa and other regions heavily affected by the epidemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci became a polarizing figure in American politics, viewed by some as a steady voice of scientific authority and by others as a symbol of government overreach. The congressional inquiries led by Senator Rand Paul in 2025 reflected the degree to which Fauci's role during the pandemic remained a subject of political contention after his departure from government service.

The naming of the Infectious Diseases Society of America's Courage in Leadership Award after Fauci in 2025 reflected the medical community's recognition of his sustained contributions to the field. His post-retirement engagements at institutions such as Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health have continued to draw attention to issues of infectious disease preparedness and trust in medical research.

Notable among Fauci's scientific mentees is Drew Weissman, whose work on mRNA technology contributed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.