ST. LOUIS – Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical adviser to the President of the United States, will give a speech to some graduating students at Washington University this spring.

Fauci will speak to a group of MD and PhD students graduating from the Washington University School of Medicine on May 15.

“He is the quintessential role model for physician-scientists and exemplifies all the virtues that science has contributed to improving health in our society,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs at WashU, on Fauci. “We are honored that he will share his wisdom with our school and our graduates on this special day.”

Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 through last year. He oversaw an extensive research portfolio on domestic and global health issues.

Fauci is well-known for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the last three years, and he became widely recognized for his work to slow the spread of the virus and accelerate the development of lifesaving vaccines and therapies.

“Our Class of 2023 represents the end of a remarkable era in the training of new physicians as the school fully transitions to the Gateway Curriculum that many in this class generously helped inform,” said Eva Aagaard, MD, senior associate dean for education. “And their training was anything but normal because of the pandemic and how it altered virtually every aspect of their education. We’re very proud of our graduates for sticking it out, and we’re extremely happy that Dr. Fauci will share this day and his insights with them.”

Fauci has delivered major lectures all over the world. He earned several awards throughout his career, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, the Lasker Award for Public Service, and the George M. Kober Medal of the Association of American Physicians.

The ceremony for WashU Medicine’s Class of 2023 is set for May 15.