Why is Dr. Anthony Fauci planning to step down from roles as the White House’s chief medical advisor and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, plans to step down from his roles as the White House’s chief medical advisor and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director at the end of the year, he announced Monday.

In his statement, Fauci said he intended to leave government service in December to “pursue the next chapter” of his career.

“I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career.” He went on to say, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges. I am very proud of our many accomplishments. I have worked with — and learned from — countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”