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BRYAN, Texas: His call to “Wear a Mask” tops a list of notable quotes of 2020. Brad Pitt portrayed him, and praised him, on Saturday Night Live.
Time magazine named him Guardian of the Year 2020. Amazon features seven pages of T-shirts, mugs and more emblazoned with his face.
Longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony S Fauci has been everywhere in 2020.
Though perhaps only recently a household name, Fauci is not a newcomer Tony. For the past four decades, he has played a leading role as a scientist, physician, administrator, and spokesperson.
You know what he’s been up to for the past few months. But what about his previous nearly 80 years? And what made him the figure he has become?
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BROOKLYN TO WASHINGTON
Fauci, the son of a pharmacist, was born in Brooklyn on December 24, 1940. He attended Regis High, a free Jesuit boys’ school. Passionate about basketball, he was captain of the high school team, despite his height of 5 feet 7 inches.
He then attended the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts and chose a pre-med degree that combined the humanities and the sciences. He graduated first in his class from Cornell University School of Medicine and then completed a medical residency.
The Vietnam War was underway and male medical school graduates were required to serve their country. One option was the US Public Health Service, which includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), based outside of Washington, DC.
Workers clear snow from the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, USA, December 16, 2020. REUTERS / Erin Scott
Fauci entered a highly selective training program there. He has worked at the NIH essentially since then.
At NIH, Fauci initially conducted specialized research on the immune system and related rare diseases – for example, one now called granulomatosis with polyangiitis, in which the blood vessels of the respiratory system and kidneys become inflamed.
His work led to effective treatment of these previously largely fatal conditions.
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THE AGE OF AIDS
With the advent of the 1980s, what was called AIDS emerged.
Fauci soon redirected his research to focus on the new disease. He accepted the leadership of NIAID in 1984, in part to increase his emphasis on AIDS.
While continuing research and patient care, Fauci, as director of the institute, entered other areas. He repeatedly testified before Congress. Gained visibility in the media.
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He took on AIDS activists and eventually included them in setting priorities for treatment development. Doing so set a precedent for involving patients in decisions about research on their diseases.
Fauci’s leadership has expanded over the years. He was one of the main architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a major program started under President George W Bush in 2003 to help control AIDS internationally.
FILE – In this April 22, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady House Press Room. Blanca in Washington. . (AP Photo / Alex Brandon, file)
Provided leadership regarding responses to bioterrorism and SARS, Zika, and Ebola. He is a member of the Trump administration’s White House Coronavirus Task Force and has accepted President-elect Joe Biden’s invitation to serve as chief medical adviser.
PROLIFICATE IN PUBLICATION
Along the way, Fauci has authored or co-authored more than 1,000 journal articles, including more than 500 on AIDS.
Of the articles, surprisingly many appeared in major journals such as Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fauci is also one of the editors of a major medical textbook.
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Over the years, Fauci posted on topics that attest to his preparedness for the coronavirus: past pandemics, as well as emerging infectious diseases and how to deal with them, including how to conduct clinical trials in the midst of an outbreak.
A recent study ranks Fauci as the 32nd most cited living researcher. His articles have been cited more than 50,000 times by other publications and his magazine articles have been mentioned tens of thousands of times on social media.
AN EXCEPTIONAL, DISCIPLINED AND RESPECTED WORKER
Clearly, Fauci is a remarkably successful scientist and a highly visible public figure. What factors appear to have contributed?
First, Fauci has the intelligence. Extraordinarily bright and knowledgeable, he has studied both the sciences and the humanities. The combination has fostered laboratory and clinical competence, communication skills, and the ability to navigate the corridors of power.
FILE PHOTO: NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci listens as US President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks during a press conference in the Rose Garden from the White House in Washington, United States, March 29, 2020. REUTERS / Al Drago / File photo
Fauci also has integrity. “I believe that I have a personal responsibility to have a positive impact on society,” he said. “I have tried to achieve this goal by choosing a life of public service.”
Strong values have guided his decisions, such as whether to remain at NIAID despite offers to become a director of the NIH or to fill more lucrative positions elsewhere.
His values also include concern for the welfare of others. When confronted by AIDS activists, he said: “I saw people who were suffering.” He cared for people with AIDS, even when the disease was still heavily stigmatized.
Fauci is also flexible: he can pivot. He reoriented his work with the appearance of AIDS, contributing in an important way to the understanding and treatment of the disease. Despite insults from AIDS activist Larry Kramer, she developed a productive alliance and warm friendship with him.
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Fauci has an exceptional work ethic and is blessed with amazing energy. Account after account details the choppy rhythm of his ultra-long days: waking up before dawn, rushing from one engagement to another with hardly a break, and answering emails late into the night.
He has gained credibility through his research, publications, patient health impact, and long service. In your communications, your values keep you focused on the facts. An essay in the Washington Post calls him “the singular arbiter the country trusts” during the pandemic.
An advisor to six US presidents and the current president-elect, Fauci has extensive ties in Washington between politicians and the media. Some science reporters have covered his work since the 1980s.
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FACE OF THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
Known as “the chief explainer of the coronavirus epidemic,” Fauci is an expert communicator. You know how the media works. Explain clearly. He speaks in sound bites, thinks “we’ll probably see a spike after a spike” in cases after Thanksgiving break, and his comments can be tweeted.
It is accessible to the press. Listen and speak.
Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been acclaimed by Americans across partisan lines AFP / WIN MCNAMEE
His distinctive look and voice help, too. Its name is unusual but not difficult to handle.
Last but not least, Fauci values teamwork. “It’s almost impossible to do something meaningful without leading a team or being part of the team,” he said.
A photo of Fauci’s lab group shows about 80 members, including high-level researchers. Much appreciated for his mentorship, Fauci even made himself available to a student to write a thesis, and then commented extensively on the finished product.
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In many ways, Fauci has been the face of the fight against COVID-19 in America.
“If we are to overcome this, we have to come together as a country,” Fauci said.
His forceful, evidence-based approach has helped make him famous in 2020. With a little luck, he can lead the way to control COVID-19 in 2021.
Hear from the infectious disease expert describe what it takes to make, ship, and deliver a vaccine on our Heart of the Matter podcast:
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Barbara Gastel is Professor of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and Humanities in Medicine at Texas A&M University. This comment first appeared on The Conversation.
