Bio
David A. Kessler - David A. Kessler, M.D., is the Dean of the School of Medicine and the Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Kessler served for six years as the Dean of the Yale University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kessler, who served as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from November 1990 until March 1997, was appointed by President George H. W. Bush and reappointed by President Clinton. As Commissioner of the FDA, he acted to speed approval of new drugs and placed high priority on getting promising therapies for serious and life-threatening diseases to patients as quickly as possible. He introduced changes in the device approval process to make it more efficient and ensure that it meets high standards.
Under his direction, the FDA announced a number of new programs, including: user fees for drugs and biologics; the regulation of the marketing and sale of tobacco products to children; and preventive controls to improve food safety.
Mark B. McClellan - In July 2007, Dr. Mark B. McClellan, Senior Fellow, became the Director of the Engelberg Center for Healthcare Reform at the Brookings Institution. In addition, Dr. McClellan is the Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair in Health Policy Studies. Dr. McClellan previously served as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (2002-2004) and Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2004-2006). He also served as a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and senior director for health care policy at the White House (2001–2002). In these positions, he developed and implemented major reforms in health policy, including the development of the FDA’s Critical Path initiative, regulatory reforms to modernize pharmaceutical manufacturing and efficient risk-management methods to better address safety issues.
James A. Thurber - James A. Thurber is Distinguished Professor of Government and Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. Dr. Thurber has been on the faculty at American University since 1974 and was honored as the University Scholar/Teacher of the Year in 1996. He is author and co-author of numerous books and more than seventy-five articles and chapters on Congress, congressional-presidential relations, congressional budgeting, congressional reform, interest groups and lobbying, and campaigns and elections. Dr. Thurber is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
