Who is Jeanne Marrazzo?

Marrazzo is an infectious disease expert and epidemiologist who has been a principal investigator on NIH grants since 1997. She has focused much of her research on the human microbiome, the prevention of HIV, and the prevention of infections in the female reproductive tract.

Marrazzo has also studied barriers to care for LGBTQ+ patients and is an openly gay physician herself.

She will succeed Fauci, who announced his intention to step down from the position in December, to lead the $6.3 billion research institute. In the interim, Hugh Auchincloss Jr., a longtime deputy at NIAID, has been serving as the agency's acting director.

NIH remains without a confirmed director since Francis Collins stepped down in 2021. President Joe Biden earlier this year nominated Monica Bertagnolli, a cancer surgeon, as leader of the agency, but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing and has called on the Biden administration to first do something to address high drug prices. Marrazzo's NIAID position is not subject to Senate approval.

Reaction

Lawrence Tabak, NIH's acting director, said in a statement that Marrazzo "brings a wealth of leadership experience from leading international clinical trials and translational research, managing a complex organizational budget that includes research funding and mentoring trainees in all stages of professional development."

David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, noted that Marrazzo "has devoted her career to fighting sexually transmitted infections" and that her selection as NIAID director means those infections "will be taken seriously in the national policy environment."

Fauci said he did not have a close relationship with Marrazzo and was not involved in the selection, but praised the NIH search committee, saying Marrazzo is "an experienced infectious disease person; she's very well-liked."

Fauci acknowledged there is a growing focus on NIH and NIAID and warned that Marrazzo will likely face some scrutiny.

"Sometimes, my sticking with data and facts generated a lot of antagonism on the part of people with extreme views," he said. "She will likely face that … I believe she will be up to it as long as she stays anchored in science and evidence, and in keeping an open mind."

Fauci added that the job of the NIAID director "is very different than the NIH director's job. The job of the NIAID director is not a political appointee. There's been a lot of pushing on certain sectors to make it politically influenced, and I think that's a bad idea."

Michael Saag, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at UAB, who has worked with Marrazzo for over 20 years, said she has the leadership abilities to oversee programs both inside and outside of NIAID, and the ability to handle any potentially adversarial hearings on Capitol Hill or negative publicity that comes with the role.

"Unfortunately, in our current political environment, just having a position like this will be a lightning rod for a lot of hate speech and attack[s]," he said. "She's got tough skin. I think she'll be able to manage it well." (Diamond/Roubein, Washington Post, 8/2; Owermohle, STAT, 8/2)

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