Federal officials Wednesday named Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo from the University of Alabama at Birmingham as the new director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the post previously held by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Marrazzo is the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UAB and made frequent appearances on local and national media outlets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The doctor and researcher arrived at UAB in 2016 from the University of Washington and is an expert on sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

“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 Tabak, acting director for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in a press release. “I look forward to welcoming Dr. Marrazzo to the NIH leadership team.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci served as the director of NIAID from 1984 until his retirement in 2022. During his decades at the helm, he steered the agency through the AIDS/HIV epidemic and COVID-19, becoming one of the nation’s most recognizable medical experts. He faced considerable controversy throughout his tenure, facing off with AIDS activists in the 80s and 90s and people opposed to COVID and vaccine mandates during the pandemic.

Fauci stepped down from his role on Dec. 31, 2022. Marrazzo will join the agency in the fall of 2023, according to a statement from UAB.

Marrazzo will oversee a budget of $6.3 billion for research into new treatments for infectious diseases and allergic conditions. NIAID runs 21 laboratories, including the Vaccine Research Center. The agency also performs research and monitors outbreaks in the U.S. and other countries.

Marrazzo is board certified in infectious disease and belongs to the American College of Physicians and Infectious Diseases Society of America, according to a release from the NIH.