FDA leadership stabilizes under new CBER and CDER heads and appoints first AI deputy commissioner

At the Food and Drug Administration, Karim Mikhail and Michael Davis have been confirmed as the permanent heads of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Their appointments follow several months of acting leadership and aim to steady the agency after a period of turbulence under former commissioner Marty Makary.

Both leaders said their top priority is staff morale and retention. They described listening to employee concerns and taking steps to restore normal operations, noting simple actions such as clearing cluttered computer equipment areas to improve the workplace environment.

The agency also announced that Jared Seehafer will become the first deputy commissioner focused on artificial intelligence, indicating a new emphasis on AI integration in FDA processes.