Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wears a protective mask during a White House Task Force against Coronavirus press conference at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on November 19, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Katopodis Tasos | Getty Images
Dr. Anthony Fauci won the $ 1 million Dan David Award for “defending science” and defending vaccines that are now being administered worldwide to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The Israel-based Dan David Foundation named President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor on Monday as the winner of one of three awards. It said that he gained lifelong recognition for leadership in HIV research and AIDS relief, as well as in the defense of vaccines against COVID-19.
In its statement, the private foundation did not mention former President Donald Trump, who undermined Fauci’s scientific monitoring approach to the pandemic. But he credited Fauci for “courageously defending science in the face of uninformed opposition during the challenging COVID crisis”.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, (Fauci) took advantage of his considerable communication skills to deal with people dominated by fear and anxiety and worked tirelessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about essential public health measures. to contain the spread of the pandemic, “said the foundation’s award committee, praising Fauci for” speaking the truth to power in a highly charged political environment “.
Fauci, 80, has served seven presidents and has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.
In recent interviews, Fauci acknowledged that it was sometimes difficult to work for Trump, who repeatedly downplayed the severity of the pandemic, ruled out the need to wear masks and often proclaimed unproven scientific remedies, including disinfectant injection.
Trump resented Fauci’s flattering coverage in the press and reveled in the calls to “Fire Fauci!” at some of his rallies. But Fauci survived Trump, who lost the November election.
“It was very clear that there were things said, be it in relation to things like hydroxychloroquine and other things, that were really uncomfortable because they were not based on scientific facts,” Fauci said at a recent meeting at the White House. He added that he “had no pleasure” in contradicting the president.
Biden’s election, said Fauci, was “liberating”.
The Dan David Award, established in 2000, offers prizes of $ 1 million in three categories each year for contributions that address the past, the present and the future.
Fauci won the “present” achievement award in the field of public health, the foundation said.
Professors Alison Bashford, Katharine Park and Keith Wailoo, active in the field of health history and medicine, won the “Past” category. The pioneers of anticancer immunotherapy, Professor Zelig Eshhar, Dr. Carl June and Dr. Steven Rosenberg, won in the “Future” category.
The foundation is based at the University of Tel Aviv, where it offers grants for various programs in the fields of humanities and social sciences. The foundation allocates 10% of the prize money to scholarships.
Foundation Director Ariel David, son of the award’s founder, said that this year’s laureates “have investigated how humanity has dealt with diseases and pandemics throughout history; they have provided relief, guidance and leadership to deal with current outbreaks. .. and they are at the forefront in the discovery of new treatments that give us hope for the future in the ongoing battle against cancer and other diseases. “
Previous recipients of the Dan David Award include former United States vice president Al Gore, former British prime minister Tony Blair, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, novelist Margaret Atwood, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.