Dr. Fauci Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom


Anthony S. Fauci, M.A.C.P., former chief resident from 1971 to 1972, has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition for his efforts to advance understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Fauci received the medal in a White House ceremony on June 19. This prestigious honor is awarded to those who contribute to U.S. security or national interests, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Dr. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and has made many contributions to the understanding and treatment of immune-related and infectious diseases. In this role, he oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat such conditions. Dr. Fauci has studied HIV/AIDS and treated HIV-infected patients since the early days of the pandemic. As a key White House advisor on AIDS, he was a leading architect of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Dr. Fauci will be coming to Weill Cornell Medical College for a visiting professorship. As a B.H. Kean lecturer, he will be giving a talk at the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on October 2, 2008.

Read the article about Dr. Fauci on page 20 of the Spring 2008 Weill Cornell Medicine Magazine.