Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, has accepted a role at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. Starting July 1, he will serve as a university professor, a title that marks Georgetown’s highest professional honor.
Fauci, a physician, immunologist, and infectious disease researcher, has served as an advisor to seven U.S. presidents. He most recently held the position of director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes Of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, a post he relinquished in December 2022 after 38 years of service. His decision to step down from this role marked the start of a new phase of his career.
At Georgetown, Fauci will work in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, an academic division that focuses on clinical care, research, and training future physicians in infectious diseases. He will also hold an additional appointment in the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy, the interdisciplinary approach to education at the institution.
“We are deeply honored to welcome Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a dedicated public servant, humanitarian and visionary global health leader, to Georgetown,” expressed John J. DeGioia, the president of the university. “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.”
Fauci graduated from Regis High School in New York City in 1958 and the College of the Holy Cross in 1962, both Jesuit institutions. Expressing his delight at joining Georgetown, Fauci said, “This is a natural extension of my scientific, clinical and public health career.”
Fauci’s involvement in the discourse surrounding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been a polarizing issue.
In early 2020, it was initially suspecting that the virus might have originated from a laboratory, rather than from an animal source as other theories suggest. However, Fauci dismissed the lab leak theory as one of many “crackpot theories.” On top of that, many have never received answers from Fauci about funding for “gain-of-function” research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
On Friday, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic subpoenaed virologist Kristian Andersen over his private communications concerning the origins of COVID-19. Andersen initially suggested the virus might be a lab leak, but after a call with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Andersen publicly dismissed this theory.
He then received a $1.88 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Subcommittee seeks access to Andersen’s Slack messages with co-authors, as they could provide critical insights into the COVID-19 investigation. Andersen had earlier failed to produce all requested messages, citing lack of consent from participants. The subpoena is set for execution on June 30, 2023