Dr. Anthony Fauci’s substitute at NIH’s infectious illness and immunology institute is an HIV prevention skilled from the College of Alabama-Birmingham, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci retired as the top of the Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Illnesses in December. This week, the NIH introduced who shall be changing Dr. Fauci, and her identify is Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo. NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin has been talking to pals and colleagues to find out about who she is.
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN, BYLINE: Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo is not fairly a family identify, though she was often on TV as an skilled in the course of the top of the COVID pandemic. She has putting white curls and brilliant blue glasses. Right here she is within the fall of 2020 on CNN.
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JEANNE MARRAZZO: So a few issues – I don’t suppose we should always outlaw socialization.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Anybody tapped to succeed Dr. Fauci has massive sneakers to fill. He held the job, director of the Nationwide Institute of Allergic reactions and Infectious Illnesses at NIH, for many years. He’s a family identify, each liked and vilified. Dr. Carlos del Rio is the president of the Infectious Illnesses Society of America. He is thrilled by the information of Marrazzo’s appointment. He says Marrazzo and Fauci do have just a few issues in frequent.
CARLOS DEL RIO: They’re each of Italian descent. They’re each HIV physicians, and so they’re each excellent communicators.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: However Marrazzo is really her personal individual, he says.
DEL RIO: I really like Dr. Fauci. He is nice. However on the similar time, we have to recover from it, proper? I imply, the Fauci period is over. Now it is the Marrazzo period.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Jeanne Marrazzo grew up in Pennsylvania, close to Scranton. She went to Harvard after which received her MD from Thomas Jefferson College in Philadelphia. Earlier than she took her present job operating the division of infectious illnesses on the College of Alabama at Birmingham, she spent years on the College of Washington. Jen Balkus met her there. She now works in public well being for Seattle and King County. Marrazzo was a key mentor as Balkus received her doctorate.
JEN BALKUS: She finds these methods to, like, encourage and push and foster progress and growth in folks, however all on the similar time, permitting them to be the person who they need and want and must be.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: The director of infectious illnesses at NIH is an enormous job – operating an institute with a $6.3 billion price range. One other good friend and colleague, Sharon Hillier of the College of Pittsburgh, says Marrazzo has rather a lot to deal with.
SHARON HILLIER: Numerous infections that used to solely be discovered extra within the tropics shifting to the subtropics as local weather has modified, the burgeoning epidemic of sexually transmitted infections and, you recognize, international well being, together with HIV however not simply HIV.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Buddies describe Marrazzo as a straight shooter, a sort colleague with an ideal snort who loves going out for dinner. She’s overtly homosexual, and Balkus says she’s additionally joyful and enjoyable. She thinks about an annual convention they each attend.
BALKUS: A part of the assembly culminates in a gala dance, and Jeanne is at all times, at all times on the dance ground.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo will take her place at NIH within the fall. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR Information.
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