Hamburg: Development of Regulators 'Critically Important'

Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), spoke at length to The Washington Post about her leadership style at FDA, the development of regulatory professionals and career growth for regulators at FDA.

Hamburg said she fully supports FDA staff in their intellectual and scientific work, and is "making sure our employees have career development pathways, ongoing education, as well as engagement with the broader scientific community, which will inspire them to do their jobs better."

"This ability to continue learning from, and interacting with, colleagues - inside and outside of the FDA - is essential to keeping everyone motivated and engaged. And they need to be rewarded for the important work they do," continued Hamburg.

Hamburg noted it has been difficult to attract younger talent to the agency, but FDA is "creating more opportunities for individuals at the beginning of their careers to do important, meaningful work and engage in cutting-edge science" in order to attract professionals early on in their careers.

Hamburg was also adamant about painting FDA as a mission-driven agency, saying a strong mission is key to bringing innovation to the organization. "Once an organization has a strong sense of mission, leaders can focus on trying new things," said Hamburg.

"In these challenging times, sometimes the only way to accomplish your mission is by doing something in a different way," added Hamburg. "It's very been important for us to respond to the extraordinary advances in science and technology that are constantly unfolding around us."

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Washington Post - Some PDA for the FDA: Talking leadership with Commissioner Margaret Hamburg