Dr. Anthony Fauci awarded $1 million for ‘defending science’
The nation’s top infectious disease expert won the Dan David Prize for his work amid the coronavirus pandemic
Dr. Anthony Fauci is being recognized globally for his work to empower science and data as the world continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: Fauci explains if families can visit grandparents after they’ve been vaccinated
ABC News reported that Fauci was awarded a $1 million prize as the recipient of the Dan David Prize for “defending science” and working to advocate for a safe and effective vaccine process.
The Israel-based Dan David Foundation recognized Fauci for his lifetime of leadership on HIV research and AIDS relief and continued work to support COVID-19 education and vaccinations.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic unraveled, (Fauci) leveraged his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by fear and anxiety and worked relentlessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about the public health measures essential for containing the pandemic’s spread,” the foundation’s awards committee shared.
He was celebrated for “speaking truth to power in a highly charged political environment.”
As political environments have shifted, the White House may not be as “highly charged” but the work to uplift the country from coronavirus devastation remains endless.
theGrio reported Fauci openly welcomed the change in leadership as former President Donald Trump was replaced by President Joe Biden accompanied by an entirely new cabinet.
Read More: Fauci says ‘virtually everybody’ will be eligible for vaccine by April
Frequently during his presidency, Trump would undermine the scientific evidence presented by Fauci.
“I can tell you I take no pleasure at all in being in a situation of contradicting the president, so it was really something that you didn’t feel you could actually say something and there wouldn’t be any repercussions about it,” Fauci told reporters. “The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence and science is, and know that’s it — let the science speak — it is somewhat of a liberating feeling.”
The Dan David Prize, established in 2000, is endowed by the Dan David Foundation, headquartered at Tel Aviv University, and awarded internationally.
According to its website, the honor “recognizes and encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research that cuts across traditional boundaries and paradigms. It aims to foster universal values of excellence, creativity, justice, democracy, and progress and to promote the scientific, technological, and humanistic achievements that advance and improve our world.”
Foundation Director Ariel David, son of the prize founder, said this year’s laureates “have probed how humanity has dealt with sickness and pandemics throughout history; they have provided relief, guidance, and leadership in dealing with current outbreaks … and they are at the forefront of discovering new treatments that give us hope for the future in the ongoing battle against cancer and other diseases.”
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