2023 Washington University School of Medicine MD Commencement speaker
Anthony S. Fauci, MD
Former Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health from 1984 to 2022. He oversaw an extensive research portfolio devoted to preventing, diagnosing, and treating infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
Dr. Fauci was a key advisor to seven Presidents and their administrations on global HIV/AIDS issues, and on initiatives to bolster medical and public health preparedness against emerging infectious disease threats such as pandemic influenza and COVID-19. He also served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. As an HIV/AIDS researcher he was involved in the scientific effort since AIDS since was recognized in 1981, conducting pivotal studies that underpin the current understanding of the disease and efforts to develop therapies and tools of prevention. Dr. Fauci was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has helped save more than 25 million lives throughout the developing world.
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Fauci to speak at WashU Medicine Commencement »
Dr. Fauci is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, and many other professional societies. He has received numerous awards for his scientific and global health accomplishments, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest honor given to a civilian by the President of the United States), the National Medal of Science, and the Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service. He has been awarded 58 honorary doctoral degrees and is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than 1,400 scientific publications, including several major textbooks.