Fauci's Wife is the Head of Bioethics at NIH

A recent tweet from @pmarca has revealed a concerning conflict of interest within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The tweet pointed out that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and one of the leading figures in America’s fight against COVID-19, has his wife as head of bioethics at NIH. This means that Dr. Fauci’s wife is responsible for making sure he behaves ethically while leading NIAID’s efforts to combat coronavirus. The news comes as a surprise to many, who are now questioning whether this conflict of interest affects how decisions are made within NIAID and if it compromises its ability to lead an effective response to the pandemic. Dr. Fauci himself has not commented on this issue, but some have argued that his wife’s position could give him an unfair advantage over other researchers or medical professionals who may disagree with him on certain matters related to fighting COVID-19. Dr. Christine Grady, Dr. Fauci’s wife, is a nurse ethicist and professor at Georgetown University Medical Center who was appointed by former President Obama in 2009 as chief bioethicist for NIH Clinical Center Research Program in Bethesda, Maryland. In this role she provides ethical guidance on research involving human subjects and ensures compliance with federal regulations regarding such research projects conducted by NIH staff members or contractors. Grady also serves as chairperson for several committees which review clinical research protocols submitted by NIH investigators and advise them on ethical considerations associated with their proposed studies involving human subjects; she also advises top officials at NIH about potential ethical issues related to their policies or practices regarding clinical research projects funded by the agency. While it is unclear how much influence Grady has over her husband’s work at NIAID or if her presence there poses any kind of conflict of interest, many are calling for more transparency from both parties in order to ensure that all decisions made regarding COVID-19 research are based solely on scientific evidence rather than personal bias or favoritism towards family members involved in such endeavors.