Dr. Robert Califf, a renowned expert in cardiovascular medicine and health care quality, is the current head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He previously served as the FDA commissioner from February 2016 to January 2017. Califf’s career began at Duke University in the 1970s, where he graduated summa cum laude and earned his medical degree.
After his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Califf returned to Duke for a cardiology fellowship. He spent most of his career at Duke, serving as a cardiologist, researcher, and senior leader until 2015. He then joined the FDA, initially as deputy commissioner and later as commissioner.
At Duke, Califf gained a reputation as an expert in clinical trials, especially large and complex international ones. He founded the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), a leading academic clinical research organization. As the DCRI’s founding director, Califf led many clinical trials in cardiology and other fields.