On Thursday 18th April, visiting guest Dr Anthony Fauci was awarded an Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour that the School of Medicine confers on an individual in a special event held at UCD Belfield.
UCD School of Medicine’s Professor Mary Horgan delivered the citation at the event, explaining the incredible contribution Dr Fauci has made throughout his career. She said, ‘‘UCD School of Medicine is delighted to welcome Dr Anthony Fauci to our campus today. His major contribution to science and medicine and his leadership and dedication to public service is being recognised with the awarding of an Honorary Fellowship. Dr Fauci’s work in the field of infectious diseases and immunology has contributed to major breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of diseases. He is a role model for our students and lives by our values of excellence, integrity, innovation and service to our global community.’’
Dr Fauci served as National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director in the United States from 1984 to 2022. He oversaw an extensive research portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and emerging diseases such as Ebola, Zika and COVID-19. He led the NIAID research effort on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma, and allergies and is one of the most cited authors in the field. Dr Fauci was a key advisor to seven US Presidents on global HIV/AIDS issues, and on initiatives to bolster public health preparedness against emerging infectious disease threats.
President of UCD, Professor Orla Feely was a guest speaker at the event, welcoming Dr Fauci and highlighting the strong links between Ireland and the US and the importance of this continuing close relationship, saying, “It is a great pleasure to welcome Dr Fauci to campus today and to honour his achievements. The links between UCD and the United States in research and education, including those of UCD School of Medicine, are very important to us, and we will grow these as part of the UCD North America Engagement Strategy, launched last week.”
The intimate event was attended by 40 guests, predominantly those working in the infectious diseases field. Dean of UCD School of Medicine, Professor Michael Keane, was the MC for the occasion and said, ‘‘It was an honour to have Dr Fauci here on campus and I thank all our guests for attending this special event. The field of medicine is lucky to have someone with Dr Fauci’s level of leadership, vision, curiosity, and eternal optimism.’’
After Professor Keane presented the Honorary Fellowship award to Dr Fauci, the event was concluded with lunch.
Previous recipients of UCD School of Medicine Honorary Fellowships include:
Dr Tony Smurfit - 2023
Dr Rhona Mahony - 2018
Dr Bernard Kinane - 2015
Mr Tom Lynch - 2012
Photo 1
Professor Orla Feely, UCD President; Dr Anthony Fauci; Professor Michael Keane, Dean of Medicine, Head of UCD School of Medicine
Photo 2
Dr Anthony Fauci
Photo 3
Professor Orla Feely, UCD President; Dr Christine Grady (Dr Fauci's wife); Dr Anthony Fauci; Professor Michael Keane, Dean of Medicine, Head of UCD School of Medicine; Professor Mary Horgan, Professor of Infectious Diseases, UCD School of Medicine