President Obama on Tuesday nominated Robert Califf, a cardiologist and clinical researcher long affiliated with Duke University, to be the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Since March, Califf has been deputy FDA commissioner for medical products and tobacco. Before that, he was director of the cardiac care unit at Duck University Medical Center. In addition, in 2006, he founded Duke’s Clinical Research Institute, the world’s largest academic research organization. He also led the university’s efforts on translational research, or turning basic scientific discoveries into new treatments for patients.
If his nomination is confirmed, Califf will take the helm of one of the most far-reaching federal agencies and one that is in the middle of overhauling how it handles food safety to help companies and consumers avoid foodborne illnesses. When Califf was appointed deputy commissioner, it was widely assumed he would be the nominee to permanently replace Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the previous commissioner who led FDA for six years. She announced in February this year that she would leave FDA at the end of March. Dr. Stephen Ostroll has been the acting commissioner.
