Dr. Anthony Fauci announced on Monday that he is stepping down from his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after decades of service.
The New York Times reports that the 81-year-old Fauci, who was the public face of health advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than a million Americans, will "pursue the next chapter" at the end of the year.
Although Fauci often served as a steady voice of expertise during the Trump administration's early response the deadly pandemic in 2020, he quickly became a lightning rod among Trump allies over his promotion of restrictions aimed at slowing the virus's spread.
In an interview with the Times, Fauci said that he wanted to do more public health advocacy outside of the government role where he has worked for nearly 40 years.
“So long as I’m healthy, which I am, and I’m energetic, which I am, and I’m passionate, which I am, I want to do some things outside of the realm of the federal government," he said.
President Joe Biden gave Fauci praise after he announced his coming retirement from government.
"Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved," Biden said.
