As an American physician and immunologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci has left an extraordinary mark on public health. Serving as director of the NAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) since 1984, he has spent over five decades at the forefront of immunology. Beyond his role at the NIAID, Dr. Fauci took on responsibilities as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and became one of the most prominent voices communicating with the public about the pandemic.

Background

Born on December 24, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Fauci grew up in a family rooted in healthcare. His parents, Stephen A Fauci and Eugenia Lillian, provided a foundation steeped in medicine — his father attended Columbia University to study pharmacy and eventually ran his own practice. It was truly a family affair: young Fauci pitched in at the pharmacy, handling prescription deliveries and working the register alongside the rest of the household.

For his secondary education, Fauci enrolled at Regis High School, a well-regarded all-boys Jesuit institution in Manhattan. He then pursued his undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts before going on to obtain his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College.

Career

After earning his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1966, Dr. Fauci completed his internal medicine training at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. By 1968, he had joined the NIAID, launching what would become more than five decades of groundbreaking contributions to immunology and infectious diseases. More recently, his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic thrust him into the national spotlight as a widely recognized public figure.

What sets Dr. Fauci apart is his deep expertise in infectious diseases paired with a remarkable talent for making complex scientific ideas accessible to everyday audiences. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in navigating some of the most serious public health emergencies of our time — from the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the Ebola outbreak to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Fun Facts:

  • Dr. Fauci has been appointed to various committees and commissions by several different US presidents and holds a seat on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
  • Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Fauci has accumulated a remarkable collection of awards and honors recognizing his contributions to infectious disease research. Among the most notable are the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award.
  • When he's not in the lab or briefing the public, Dr. Fauci likes to hit the tennis court. He's also a devoted New York Yankees fan and has a deep appreciation for classical music, particularly opera and live concerts.
  • Dr. Fauci and his wife, Christine Grady, have been married since 1985. A physician and bioethicist in her own right, she works at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Together, they are parents to three daughters.