Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday he plans to step down from his post at the National Institutes of Health in December after decades of leading the government’s infectious disease research and becoming the face of the COVID-19 pandemic response — often with polarizing results — across two administrations.
Dr. Fauci has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, during the Reagan administration. He steered the nation through HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Zika crises before becoming a household name after the coronavirus hit.
“I came to know him as a dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises,” said President Biden, who noted his decision to elevate Dr.