President Obama has nominated Dr. Robert Califf, a Duke University where he helped found the Duke Clinical Research Organization to be the next U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner.
He took a leave of absence from the position at Duke, which he held for 33 years, to act as FDA deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco in January.
The Duke Clinical Research Organization is the largest in the world and produces almost half of Duke’s grant and contract revenue from sources other than the government.
“His transformative leadership at Duke, and real-world experience with patients make him a remarkable choice that will bring important new perspectives to an already strong agency,” Ellen Sigal, chairwoman of Friends of Cancer Research, said in a statement.
