Steven Quay, a biopharmaceutical executive with no background in infectious diseases, is no longer the leading candidate to become director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), according to a source with knowledge of the decision. Quay had been in contention for the role once held by Anthony Fauci, but is now expected to take on a consulting role for the center instead.
Quay was an early proponent of the theory that the Covid-19 virus was engineered in and leaked from a Chinese laboratory. The source told STAT that Quay is no longer the leading choice, but the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Quay himself did not respond to requests for comment.
The report is based on a single anonymous source, and no official announcement has been made. The shift suggests the administration may be moving away from selecting a controversial figure with no infectious disease expertise for the high-profile NIAID post, though the consulting arrangement remains unspecified.