March 25, 2011 – (BRONX, NY) – Noted AIDS researcher and immunologist Anthony S. Fauci will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 commencement ceremony for Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.  Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will speak at Einstein’s graduation, which takes place Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.Director of NIAID since 1984, Dr. Fauci oversees basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies. In addition to HIV/AIDS, Dr. Fauci also advises senior administration officials on initiatives to bolster medical and public health preparedness against emerging infectious disease threats such as pandemic influenza.

In his commencement address, Dr. Fauci will highlight the constant change inherent in medicine, which is evolving as fast as the frontier of biomedical science advances. His talk, “The Perpetual Student and the Changing Landscape of Medicine,” will address how this ongoing evolution of science is both demanding and exciting, encouraging clinicians and researchers to learn throughout their entire career. While keeping abreast of the latest research is important, Dr. Fauci will also emphasize the need for physicians to keep the enduring principles of patient care at the forefront of their minds.

“Dr. Fauci is an extraordinary physician/scientist, research administrator and public servant,” said Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean. “He exemplifies the professional and personal characteristics our graduates should strive to emulate.”

"Dr. Fauci is an extraordinary physician/scientist, research administrator and public servant. He exemplifies the professional and personal characteristics our graduates should strive to emulate."

-- Dean Allen M. Spiegel, M.D.Dr. Fauci has made many contributions to basic and clinical research on the development and treatment of immune-mediated and infectious diseases. He has made a number of basic scientific observations that serve as the basis for current understanding of the regulation of the human immune response, and he has developed effective treatments for some formerly fatal inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Dr. Fauci has also made seminal contributions to the understanding of how the AIDS virus destroys the body’s defenses, making it more susceptible to deadly infections. He has been instrumental in developing highly effective strategies for treating patients with HIV/AIDS and in helping lead efforts to find a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV infection.

Dr. Spiegel will join Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel in presenting the diplomas at the June 1 ceremony. This year, Einstein plans to confer approximately 185 M.D. degrees, 57 Ph.D. degrees and 12 M.S. degrees. Fourteen graduates will receive both an M.D. and a Ph.D. degree.

During the ceremony, a number of distinguished individuals will be honored with alumni and teaching awards.