Anthony Fauci

Anthony Fauci (born December 24, 1940, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American doctor and scientist who, as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID; 1984–2022), played a key role in diagnosing and treating a number of contagious illnesses, notably AIDS and COVID-19.

Early life and education

Fauci is the youngest of two children born to Eugenia (née Abys) Fauci and Stephen Fauci, a pharmacist. The family lived in Brooklyn, where they ran a neighborhood pharmacy. As a boy, Fauci held various jobs there, including working the register and delivering prescriptions. In his spare time, he enjoyed sports, playing baseball and basketball. At Regis High School, Fauci was taught in the Jesuit tradition, and its “to be men for others” philosophy had a lasting impact on him. He later attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he took premed classes. After earning a degree in 1962, he enrolled at Cornell Medical College in New York City. Fauci graduated first in his class in 1966, and he subsequently completed his residency at New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center.

AIDS and COVID-19

In 1968 Fauci joined the National Institutes of Health, where he focused on infectious diseases. While at the NIH, he also began working at the NIAID, serving as chief (1980– ) of its Laboratory of Immunoregulation. In 1984 he became head of the NIAID. During this time Fauci began researching what would become known as AIDS. The first reported cases appeared in 1981 as doctors started treating patients suffering from severely impaired immune systems. Fauci and his laboratory researched the unknown illness and made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of the deadly disease. As adviser to U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan—and a gifted communicator—Fauci took a public role during the epidemic, and he was often the focus of criticism over what some said was the government’s slow response, especially the delay in approving experimental drugs. Activists claimed that because AIDS was largely associated with the gay community, it was not receiving the funding and government aid it otherwise would. Fauci drew praise for engaging with AIDS advocates, and he helped make experimental treatments more accessible. He also sought more funding for research and was later the principal architect of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (2003; PEPFAR), which helped save millions of people in developing countries.

Fauci advised other U.S. presidents during his career, and he became particularly adept at politics. However, his skills were tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, a new infectious disease, emerged in 2019, and the following year it was designated a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Fauci served on Republican Pres. Donald Trump’s task force, and he helped devise the government’s response to the deadly virus. In a 2024 interview with Britannica, Fauci spoke of the impact of the pandemic. “The coronavirus outbreak, historically, beyond a doubt, has been the most devastating pandemic of an infectious disease that global society has experienced in well over 100 years, since the 1918 influenza pandemic.”

Through frequent TV appearances and press briefings, Fauci became a household name and a lightning rod for criticism. Although he advocated for strict restrictions, COVID-19 spread rapidly, ultimately killing more than one million Americans. Detractors also noted his shifting advice, such as whether face masks should be worn. While Fauci acknowledged problems, he stated that policy changes were required as more became known about the disease. As the pandemic became increasingly politicized, Fauci drew the ire of Trump. Trying to downplay the severity of the illness, the president often contradicted Fauci and accused the doctor of being wrong. By the end of Trump’s term, Fauci was largely marginalized. Other Republicans also publicly criticized Fauci, and he had especially heated exchanges with Sen. Rand Paul. At a congressional hearing in 2022, Fauci claimed that Paul’s misinformation was leading to death threats against him.

In 2021 Joe Biden was sworn in as president, and Fauci became his chief medical adviser. At Fauci’s first press briefing, he alluded to his difficulties with Trump, noting that it was “liberating” to be able to talk freely about science. Fauci subsequently helped develop the Biden administration’s plan for the nationwide rollout of the vaccine and made numerous public appearances to dispel any safety concerns about the medicine. In 2022 Fauci retired as Biden’s chief medical adviser and as director of the NIAID.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe

Other work and honors

During more than 40 years in public service, Fauci helped fight numerous other illnesses, and he was notably involved in handling outbreaks of West Nile virus and Ebola. In addition, Fauci took a lead medical role when anthrax was mailed to various individuals in 2001. His other work included research on rheumatism, and he made important advances in the management of such disorders.

Fauci was the recipient of various honors, including the National Medal of Science (2005). In 2008 Pres. George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work on AIDS. Fauci later published the candid memoir On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service (2024).