Anthony Fauci Delivers Robert R. Marshak Keynote at Penn Vet’s 2026 Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases Symposium

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s (Penn Vet) Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) convened leading experts in infectious disease research for its 2026 annual symposium, held March 18th and 19th on Penn’s campus. The event featured Anthony Fauci, MD, as the Robert R. Marshak Keynote Speaker.

In his opening remarks, Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, Penn Vet’s Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, invoked the legacy of Robert R. Marshak, the School’s ninth dean, whose establishment of the Bovine Leukemia Research Center at New Bolton Center stands as a defining example of Penn Vet’s enduring commitment to infectious disease research. Hoffman noted that the Symposium builds on this foundation by convening scientists, science journalists, and the public in a shared space for learning and dialogue.

Dr. Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and former Chief Medical Advisor to the President, delivered a lecture titled “HIV/AIDS: Science, Policy, and a Personal 44-Year Journey” at the Penn Museum’s Harrison Auditorium. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research at the Perelman School of Medicine and recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine, introduced Fauci.

Fauci traced the trajectory of his career through a series of defining phases, beginning with his medical training at Cornell University Medical College and his early clinical leadership at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He reflected on a distinguished career at the intersection of clinical medicine and public health, encompassing the development of therapies for rare and complex diseases and foundational contributions to understanding and treating HIV/AIDS. Central to his remarks was his leadership in addressing global disparities in access to care, most notably through his role in creating the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched in 2003 and regarded as the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease. He underscored the program’s transformative impact in expanding access to lifesaving HIV prevention, treatment, and care worldwide.

Prior to the lecture, Fauci also met with IIZD’s Pamela and Martin Winter Fellows, trainees from Penn’s VMD-PhD, MD-PhD, and PhD programs, and postdoctoral scientists conducting research in infectious and zoonotic diseases. They had a substantive discussion on public health, emerging infectious diseases, and the scientific and policy priorities that shape and strengthen global health outcomes.

The Symposium’s full-day academic program on March 19^th featured presentations by six highly regarded investigators whose work spans viral evolution, human mobility and disease ecology, host–pathogen interactions, antimicrobial resistance, and immune signaling. Speakers included Trevor Bedford, PhD (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center); Nita Bharti, PhD (Pennsylvania State University); Adam Lauring, MD, PhD (University of Michigan); Joe Pedra, PhD (University of Maryland); Víctor Torres, PhD (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital); and Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, MD, PhD (Columbia University).

About the Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases

Launched in 2021, IIZD was founded at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the threat of zoonotic diseases and the power of basic and translational research. Since its inception, the Institute has awarded over $3M in grants to support pilot studies, the Martin and Pamela Winter Infectious Disease Fellowships for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, and faculty recruitment. 

The annual symposium furthers IIZD’s mission to confront the next zoonotic disease outbreak by fostering cross-campus collaboration, driving scientific innovation, and strengthening the infrastructure of one of the nation’s most comprehensive academic programs in zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.

To learn more about IIZD’s role in protecting populations against deadly animal and human health threats, click here.