Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief Dr. Anthony Fauci will move on from advising those in the highest levels of the U.S. government to training the next generation of doctors.
Georgetown University announced Monday that Fauci will join the school’s Department of Medicine as a “Distinguished University Professor,” the school’s highest professional honor. Beginning on July 1, the 82-year-old doctor will be a part of the Division of Infectious Diseases, which provides clinical care, conducts research, and trains future physicians in infectious diseases,” according to a Georgetown press release.
“We are deeply honored to welcome Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a dedicated public servant, humanitarian and visionary global health leader, to Georgetown,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “Dr. Fauci has embodied the Jesuit value of being in service to others throughout his career, and we are grateful to have his expertise, strong leadership and commitment to guiding the next generation of leaders to meet the pressing issues of our time.”
Along with the honor of being named a university professor, Fauci was also appointed to Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, which offers public policy master’s degrees.
In December, Fauci stepped down after working for nearly four decades as the director of the NIAID, which falls under the National Institute of Health (NIH). Fauci worked in the federal government for 54 years after joining the NIH in 1968 during the Lyndon Johnson administration. Fauci went on to advise seven presidents, influencing public policy decisions for decades.
Fauci became the face of the U.S. response to the COVID pandemic after he was tapped by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 to serve on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. The doctor was criticized for his advice during the course of the pandemic, initially telling Americans not to wear masks before changing his recommendation later, leading states and local governments to enact strict mask requirements for months during the pandemic. President Joe Biden named Fauci as the chief medical advisor to the president after taking office in 2021.
Fauci faced intense backlash after he said under oath before Congress that NIH “has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research” at the Chinese lab where many speculate COVID likely leaked from. Documents obtained by The Intercept appear to show that the NIH did fund gain-of-function research at the lab, contrary to Fauci’s testimony.
Fauci’s retirement from the NIAID came into question last week when Sen. Rand Paul, who famously clashed with Fauci during COVID Senate hearings, demanded to know if Fauci was still receiving taxpayer dollars based on ambiguous statements made by the doctor before his retirement.
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“While many interpreted these statements to mean Dr. Fauci would be ending his employment with the federal government in December 2022, it is not clear if that is in fact the case,” Paul wrote.
“This raises questions about Dr. Fauci’s current employment status and whether he is still receiving certain taxpayer-funded benefits associated with active public service, such as legal counsel and protective services,” the senator added.
Georgetown’s announcement indicates that Fauci is officially moving on from his work in the federal government as he confirmed that he is looking forward to joining the university.
“I am delighted to join the Georgetown family, an institution steeped in clinical and academic excellence with an emphasis on the Jesuit tradition of public service,” Fauci said. “This is a natural extension of my scientific, clinical and public health career, which was initially grounded from my high school and college days where I was exposed to intellectual rigor, integrity and service-mindedness of Jesuit institutions.”