Dr. Margaret Hamburg is the former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she served for almost six years. In that role, she was known for advancing regulatory science, streamlining and modernizing FDA’s regulatory pathways, and globalization of the agency. Before joining FDA, Dr. Hamburg was founding vice president and senior scientist at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a foundation dedicated to reducing nuclear, chemical and biological threats. Previous government positions include Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Commissioner for New York City, and Assistant Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Dr Hamburg currently serves on numerous boards and advisory committees. She recently completed service as President/Chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and as Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Medicine.
Dr Hamburg earned her B.A. from Harvard College and her M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Professional recognition includes numerous awards, honorary degrees and elected memberships.