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# Woodcock Assisting 7 Offices/Centers; Not Drugs/Biologics
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/woodcock-assisting-7-offices-centers-not-drugs-biologics/
- Published: 2022-05-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T17:45:12.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5151855

FDA principal deputy commissioner **Janet Woodcock** has been assigned to five agency offices and two Centers to provide “strategic counsel and enterprise transformation support,” according to FDA commissioner **Robert Califf**, but drugs and biologics — the two human health areas that her previous experience as a physician has covered — are notably not among them. The separation is prompting speculation that her sometimes controversial FDA tenure could be nearing its end. The new assignments come as Califf settles down for his second stint as FDA head and just as the agency is facing increased pressure from current [baby formula shortages](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-provides-new-updates-activities-mitigate-infant-formula-supply-challenges-abbott-nutrition?ref=fdaweb.com) after Abbott stopped manufacturing products at its Sturgis, Michigan facility in the aftermath of a 2/17 FDA [warning](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fda-investigation-cronobacter-infections-powdered-infant-formula-february-2022?ref=fdaweb.com). The seven areas Woodcock is assigned are:

- Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS)
- Office of Digital Transformation (ODT)
- Office of Operations (OO)
- Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA)
- Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR)
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
- Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)

Woodcock began her FDA career in 1986 at CBER, eventually rising to the Office of Therapeutics Research and Review as its director. In 1994, she was appointed CDER director and remained in that role until 2004, when she became deputy commissioner and chief medical officer. In 2007, she returned to CDER as director and remained there until once again moving to the Office of the Commissioner, this time as the therapeutics lead for the Covid-19 Operation Warp Speed. When Califf was confirmed recently, he retained Woodcock as his principal deputy, a relatively new position that has little visibility or turf. 

Theoretically, by keeping the human health programs out of her operational sphere, Califf might be freeing Woodcock to better focus on the assigned offices and Centers without being distracted by any affinity to CDER/CBER operations. CFSAN and CVM in particular have suffered from [leadership and resource deficiencies](https://www.fdaweb.com/should-food-finally-be-removed-from-fda-oversight/). “In consultation with me, Janet will work directly with OCS, ODT, OO, ORA, OFPR, CFSAN and CVM leadership as a strategic thought partner, with decision-making authorities, to advance key initiatives and most importantly, continue our efforts to modernize the entire agency,” Califf said. “Let me be clear that this organizational adjustment is to maximize Janet’s leadership experience to help support these important components of the FDA, including a cross-cutting focus on enterprise excellence. I will continue to be involved in key decisions in these areas, and these offices and Centers will still have direct line reporting to me. The reporting structures within OCS, ODT, OO, ORA, OFPR, CFSAN and CVM also will remain the same.”

Earlier this week, Woodcock outlined her priorities at the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration annual meeting, saying she has been focusing on being a strategic partner to the foods program particularly because when she was serving as acting commissioner during the first year of the Biden Administration, she recognized the lack of resources there and the need to bolster a lot of parts of that program, such as maternal and children’s health, infant formula, novel foods, and food additives.

Another priority she said she has been focused on since her days as acting commissioner is enterprise transformation that will move FDA away from compartmentalized information technology systems in each product center /program area and toward a shared, agency-wide enterprise approach and data and technology management system. She said the agency has to re-design its business processes at an enterprise level. *\[Editor’s note: Woodcock 5/19 released more details on the enterprise transformation initiative (*[*see story*](http://fdaweb.com/login.php?sa=v&aid=D5151851&cate=&stid=%241%240N%2F.HN2.%24r2cD4WGNay3W09oschlej%2F&ref=fdaweb.com)*).\]*

Additionally, Woodcock said she has been engaged in trying to simplify and expedite FDA’s hiring practices. She said the agency needs enhanced hiring authorities that “can help us get the right people in a timely manner for all our programs.”