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# Eye Doctor Emerges as Contender for CBER Head
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/eye-doctor-emerges-as-contender-for-cber-head/
- Published: 2026-04-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T13:37:15.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Biologics, #legacy-id-D5160973

Prominent ophthalmologist and biotech executive **Houman Hemmati** is reportedly being considered as CBER’s next director to oversee vaccines and gene/cell therapies. The board-certified eye surgeon and frequent commentator on Fox News, if selected, would replace **Vinay Prasad**, whose controversial tenure comes to an end later this month ([see story](https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-biologics-chief-vinay-prasad-to-step-down-in-april/)), according to Bloomberg.

The potential appointment comes at a pivotal moment for FDA, as the agency navigates evolving vaccine policy, public scrutiny, and leadership transitions within its biologics center. The role in question is central to overseeing approvals and regulatory decisions for vaccines, cell therapies, and other advanced biologics.

Hemmati’s background spans clinical medicine, biotechnology entrepreneurship, and media engagement. While supporters may view his cross-sector experience as an asset, his frequent appearances on cable news could draw scrutiny from critics concerned about the politicization of scientific roles.

The reported consideration also reflects broader shifts in federal health leadership under the current administration, which has signaled interest in reshaping regulatory priorities and accelerating innovation in areas such as vaccines and gene therapies.

It remains unclear whether Hemmati has formally been nominated or when a final decision might be made. HHS, which oversees the FDA, has not publicly confirmed the potential appointment, Bloomberg notes.

Hemmati was educated at Stanford, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, and California Institute of Technology, and completed clinical training at leading institutions, including Johns Hopkins University. He has combined academic medicine with industry leadership, holding roles such as chief medical officer and founding or advising multiple ophthalmology-focused biotech companies. His work centers on developing treatments for retinal and other eye diseases, supported by a background in stem cell and cancer research. In addition to his clinical and corporate roles, he has held academic appointments and contributed to public commentary on science and healthcare.

Prasad's tenure at the agency has been marked by a series of high-profile regulatory disputes and controversial product decisions. Most recently, CBER has been engaged in a public dispute with uniQure over its experimental gene therapy for Huntington’s disease. Regulators asked the company to conduct an additional study to support approval, a request uniQure and some patient advocates argued would take too long and place additional burdens on patients with the rare neurological condition. Another incident involved his overruling staff to issue a "refusal-to-file" letter for a Moderna influenza vaccine, which was later reversed. Prasad also faced internal and external scrutiny for an internal memo in which he claimed Covid vaccines were responsible for the deaths of at least 10 children, a claim that critics said relied on unverified and “incomplete information.”

The CBER director position is expected to be closely watched by industry stakeholders, public health experts, and policymakers given its influence over vaccine oversight and broader biologics regulation in the U.S.