Dr. Jeanne M. Marrazzo, director of the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, has been named director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Marrazzo succeeds Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longstanding NIAID director and former chief medical adviser to President Biden who stepped down from the institute last December.

“Dr. 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,” said Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, acting NIH director. “I look forward to welcoming Dr. Marrazzo to the NIH leadership team.”

Marrazzo is expected to begin her role as NIAID director in the fall, according to an NIH news release. NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic and allergic diseases.

As NIAID director, Marrazzo will oversee the institute’s $6.3 billion budget, which supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of infectious, immunologic and allergic diseases, the NIH news release said. NIAID supports research at universities and research organizations around the United States and across NIAID’s 21 laboratories.

Dr. Ray Watts, UAB president, said in a news release, “This is a great opportunity for Dr. Marrazzo to make a big difference to the country, and it is indicative of the high regard that exists for both her and UAB. While we are sad to see her go, we are delighted that Jeanne has been called to this national service and we are proud to count her as one of us at UAB.

“As director of our Division of Infectious Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeanne served as a trusted adviser and friend who gave us the insights, guidance and confidence that allowed our institution to thrive in spite of immense challenges. She also helped inform the world, as she participated in constant local, national and global media interviews throughout the pandemic, sharing critical information and perspectives.”

Watts said UAB will conduct a national search to identify Marrazzo’s successor. “In the meantime, please join us in thanking Jeanne for her immeasurable contributions to UAB, Birmingham, Alabama and beyond, and wishing her the very best,” Watts said.

Marrazzo at a COVID-19 news conference in 2020. (UAB)

According to the NIH release, Marrazzo’s research has “focused on the human microbiome, specifically as it relates to female reproductive tract infections and hormonal contraception; prevention of HIV infection using biomedical interventions; … and the pathogenesis and management of bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted diseases in HIV-infected persons and management of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea.” Marrazzo has been a principal investigator on NIH grants continuously since 1997 and has served as a peer reviewer and advisory committee member, the NIH release said.

Marrazzo has served as a mentor to trainees at all stages of professional development, including on NIH-funded training grants, the NIH release said. She is the recipient of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association’s Distinguished Career Award, the highest recognition of contributions to research and mentoring in the field.

Marrazzo is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is board certified in infectious disease. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University, her M.D. from Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Washington, Seattle. Marrazzo also has chaired the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Council and the ABIM Infectious Disease Specialty Board.

NIAID, according to the NIH release, has “a unique mandate to respond to emerging and re-emerging public health threats at home and abroad. The NIAID research response to outbreaks of infectious diseases, from HIV to Ebola to COVID-19, has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests and other technologies.” Learn more about NIAID here.

NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is “the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, investigating the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases,” the NIH news release said. Learn more at nih.gov.