, a surgical oncologist and health policy researcher who has spent more than two decades at Johns Hopkins, was confirmed Tuesday night by the U.S. Senate as the next commissioner of the聽聽(FDA) in a bipartisan vote.
The appointment positions Makary atop the federal agency charged with ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply and cosmetics; and regulating the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products to protect the public health. The FDA, which oversees approximately one-fifth of the U.S. economy, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I am pleased to congratulate Dr. Makary on his new role as FDA commissioner. We are fortunate to have one of our senior faculty members at the School of Medicine undertake this critical service to the nation,” JHU President聽聽said. “An accomplished clinician and widely published health policy researcher, Dr. Makary has had a storied career at Johns Hopkins that reflects the research and clinical acumen and openness to different ideas and approaches undergirded by academic freedom that are the hallmark of our great institution.”
Makary has been a prominent voice on U.S. health care practices throughout his career, advocating for efforts to lower the cost of treatment and reduce unnecessary procedures and medical errors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he questioned elements of the nation’s response鈥攈e was an early advocate for universal masking and vaccines, but later questioned vaccine mandates as well as prolonged school closures, masks for toddlers, and vaccine boosters for healthy children.
