U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, has appointed Robert Califf, MD, a recognized global leader in cardiology, clinical research, and medical economics, as FDA deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco.
In this position, Dr. Califf will provide executive leadership to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and the Center for Tobacco Products. He will also oversee the Office of Special Medical Programs in the Office of the Commissioner. Dr. Califf will play a critical role in providing high-level advice and policy direction on the agency's medical product and tobacco priorities and will also manage cross-cutting clinical, scientific, and regulatory initiatives in several key areas for the agency, including personalized medicine, orphan drugs, pediatric science, and the advisory committee system, according to the FDA.
Dr. Califf currently serves as vice chancellor of clinical and translational research at Duke University in Durham, NC. Other prominent roles during his tenure at Duke include director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute (DTMI) and professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the Duke University Medical Center. Before serving as director of DTMI, he was the founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Dr. Califf is recognized by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the top 10 most cited medical authors, with more than 1,200 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Califf will join the FDA in late February.
