The National Institutes of Health appointed Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo as the new director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Wednesday. According to the NIH, Marrazzo is scheduled to start her new job in the autumn. She will succeed Dr. Hugh Auchincloss Jr., who has held the position of director in temporary capacity since Dr. Anthony Fauci left the position in December.
At the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Marrazzo oversees the division of infectious diseases. “Dr. Marrazzo has a fantastic opportunity to significantly impact the nation, and this shows how highly both she and UAB are regarded. In a joint statement on her appointment, UAB President Ray Watts and Dr. Anupam Agarwal, senior vice president of medicine and dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, said: “While we are sad to see her go, we are delighted that Jeanne has been called to this national service and we are proud to count her as one of us at UAB.
“Dr. Marrazzo brings a wealth of leadership experience from leading international clinical trials and translational research, managing a complex organisational budget that includes research funding, and mentoring trainees in all stages of professional development,” said Dr. Lawrence Tabak, acting NIH director, in a statement. I’m excited to have Dr. Marrazzo join the NIH leadership team.
National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases is the second-largest centre of the NIH, after the National Cancer Institute, with a $6.3 billion budget. It encourages study that will improve our knowledge of infectious, immunologic, and allergy disorders as well as their diagnosis and treatment. The institute was instrumental in the creation of ground-breaking vaccines and the nation’s reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Along with a nationwide network of 21 National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases labs, the NIAID funds research initiatives at universities and research institutions throughout the United States.
Fauci expressed his happiness with Marrazzo’s appointment to his previous position on Wednesday. After nearly four decades as the director of National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases, Fauci, 82, retired in December. He has since joined the Georgetown University faculty.
UAB’s Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo set to replace Dr. Anthony Fauci As New Director of National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases
She enjoys great popularity. She is a very admirable individual. She’s going to perform admirably, in my opinion. She’s going to get along well with the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases staff, at least the ones I’ve worked with for years and years, including the nearly 40 years I’ve served as the organization’s director. I also believe that the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases team will get along well with her. Therefore, I’m actually extremely happy with the decision,” he told CNN.
Fauci warned that the journey would not be simple. “What she is currently dealing on is likely to be a very complex issue involving a number of developing diseases, a high degree of modern technology, and truly an important element of the research effort on infectious diseases. She will also have to deal with a highly polarising political environment in which some of the research has sadly been politicised, as we have seen over the past few years, he added.
Fauci stated that he did not have the opportunity to speak with Marrazzo and that he first learned of her nomination on Tuesday. He claimed that if counsel was sought, he would advise her to stay with the science.
She might face opposition from those who criticise her choices. She simply needs to understand that she must always, always, always do her best while keeping science, evidence, integrity, and honesty as her guiding principles. She’ll be OK when she does that, he assured her.
Marrazzo is most renowned for her work in the field of HIV prevention among other STDs. Marrazzo oversaw a sizable trial in Africa from 2009 to 2011 that examined the effectiveness of vaginally and orally administered drugs for preventing HIV in women before pre-exposure. Young and single women made up a large portion of the study participants, and were revealed to be unwilling to take these prophylactic therapies, indicating the necessity for other and more popular forms of protection. 2015 saw the study’s publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, interim dean of the Emory University School of Medicine and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, or IDSA, called her “a remarkable doctor, researcher, and advocate.”
She has a lengthy history of working to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted illnesses. She also has a wonderful attitude, is a fantastic listener, and is a lovely person. To be honest, I’m just ecstatic. Del Rio, who meets with Marrazzo frequently because she also serves on the IDSA Board of Directors, stated that she is a superb candidate for the position.
Marrazzo, according to Del Rio, is anxious to start working at National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases and enjoys travelling and bird watching in her spare time. He remarked, “She enjoys difficult problems.
