Dr. Anthony Fauci will leave his positions as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden in December, he announced in a statement on Monday.
“While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring,” Fauci said. “After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field.”
Fauci said not specify what his next career move would entail. He previously said he planned to step down from government office by the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January 2025.
Fauci began his career at NIAID in 1968 and has directed the institute since 1984. He has served as Biden’s chief medical adviser since January 2021.
In a statement, Biden described Fauci 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.”
Fauci has advised seven presidents on HIV/AIDS over four decades and helped lead the U.S. response to many public health crises, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Zika and Covid-19.
Biden said one of his first calls as President-elect was to ask Fauci to help lead his administration’s Covid-19 response.
“In that role, I’ve been able to call him at any hour of the day for his advice as we’ve tackled this once-in-a-generation pandemic,” Biden said. “His commitment to the work is unwavering, and he does it with an unparalleled spirit, energy, and scientific integrity.”
This story was originally published on NBCNews.com.