Surgeon Is Nominated for FDA Commissioner

The incoming US administration has announced that hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon Marty Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, will be the nominee to serve as Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration.

If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Makary will lead this influential arm of the US healthcare system that regulates billions of dollars in medication, therapies, medical devices, and cosmetics. He would succeed Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, MACC.

An ACS Fellow since 2007, Dr. Makary is the chief of islet transplant surgery and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a prolific researcher and speaker on surgical quality and safety and was a key contributor to the safe surgery checklist that has been adopted by the World Health Organization.

Dr. Makary also has led or been involved in research and publications related to enhanced recovery after surgery, payment reform, and other areas germane to surgeons. If approved, he would be the third Fellow to serve as FDA Commissioner, following Charles Edwards, MD, FACS (1969–1973) and Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, FACS (2006–2009).