Abstract
As editor in chief, I have the obligation and opportunity to promote the journal and its theme of viral immunology. One of the mechanisms by which the journal can communicate science is through interviews with renowned researchers from around the world. The past 3 years have not exactly been the most opportune time to sit around pondering who I might like to speak with, but a few months ago, I heard that Dr. Anthony Fauci was planning to step down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.
It is rather timely that our December 2022 issue contains an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci and coincides with his last month of employment as the director of NIAID. We were beyond delighted that he was willing to take time out of his extremely busy schedule to give us an exclusive interview in which he would reflect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), HIV/AIDS, and his own career, in general. Personally, as someone who admired Dr. Fauci from afar when I was a master's and then PhD student, I cannot express what an absolute honor it was to speak with him one-on-one. I remember seeing him speak at HIV/AIDS conferences more than 20 years ago. It was difficult not to feel somewhat starstruck in such a situation, but after watching the interview myself, it is clear that his relaxed and open manner of conversing very quickly put me at ease.
Dr. Fauci delivered impressive pointed and articulate answers to my questions that were even somewhat candid at times. He spoke of his frustration about some members of the public's resistance to accept life-saving vaccines based on anti-science and anti-vaccine opinions. He expressed surprise at the short duration of protection from infection that we are acquiring with the current COVID-19 vaccines. And he considers the mRNA vaccine to be one of the great scientific breakthroughs of recent years, but he agrees that we need better protection from infection and transmission.
He commented on the challenges that we still face in pursuit of a cure for HIV, as well as the development of an HIV vaccine. Despite these challenges, he is proud of how far we have come with HIV treatment “that can chronically and durably suppress the virus to below detectable level.” With respect to HIV vaccines, it was interesting that he highlighted that an effective vaccine for HIV would actually need to elicit a stronger immune response against the virus than we see with actual HIV infection itself.
Dr. Fauci reflected with pride on the many hats he has had the opportunity to wear throughout his career, from work done before he got into HIV research, to characterization of the HIV reservoir, and on to the expansion of NIAID under his direction into a global superpower of research across a broad array research fields.
Finally, I asked Dr. Fauci what he would say to current trainees in science who might be trying to figure out their own direction in their future research career. He said colloquially, “go with what your passion is.” He advised against chasing what is fashionable or what you think people want you to do, but to “go with your gut, and you can't go wrong.” This is impactful advice coming from an individual who has reached such a level of international recognition and respect.
Science is predicated on challenging ideas, and we have all faced, and usually welcomed, debate in our careers, but what Dr. Fauci did not mention, and should be mentioned here, is his own resilience, and the resilience of science in general. Despite the fact that his name has been known for decades in the scientific world, the pandemic made him visible in the media on a daily basis. Unfortunately, he became a target of hate and faced unfair criticism, but he never backed down or shied away. Dr. Fauci stood strong and continued to speak on the science and the data that existed at the time. He set an example for the rest of us, as he always does.
The fact that someone as busy as Dr. Fauci took the time to speak with Viral Immunology highlights the importance of science communication and the necessity for credible individuals like him to devote valuable time into putting complex and cutting-edge scientific issues into plain language that we can all understand. We are doing research with the people, for the people, so we need to share the knowledge with them and acknowledge how fortunate and privileged we are to have this opportunity. But most of all, we need to give something back to the public.
We absolutely must translate the knowledge and communicate the science, not just in short blips on social media, but proper interviews that people can listen to and learn from. This can be a delicate balance in today's world because media engagement, especially social media, used to be perceived as attention-seeking and unprofessional, and this notion can discourage engaging scientists from engaging in activities that can benefit the public. I believe Dr. Fauci represents a shining example of a science communicator from whom we can all learn.
On behalf of everyone at Viral Immunology and Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., we sincerely thank you for a 23-min interview, and a 54-year career devoted to improving the health of others. You might not be director of NIAID in 2023, but I do not think we have seen the last of you just yet. At least, I hope we have not.