Sara Brenner
Sara Brenner is an American preventive medicine physician who has served as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs since April 2025, having previously served as Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[1] She held roles in academia and federal health policy, including as a senior policy advisor in the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Education
Brenner graduated from Adel-DeSoto-Minburn High School in Adel, Iowa in 1998.[2]
Brenner received B.S. in genetics, with a minor in philosophy, from Iowa State University.[3] She earned a M.D. from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa in 2006,[2][3] and an M.P.H. in health policy and administration from the University at Albany, SUNY's School of Public Health.[3]
Brenner completed her medical training in internal medicine at NorthShore University HealthSystem. She later specialized in preventive medicine and public health at the New York State Department of Health and SUNY Albany School of Public Health.[3]
Career
Brenner was a faculty member at the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. She held multiple roles, including associate professor of nanobioscience, assistant vice president for nanohealth initiatives, and director of the MD–PhD program in nanomedicine.[3] Her research focused on the applications of nanoscale and advanced materials in medicine and public health, as well as assessing the health impacts of exposure to engineered nanomaterials.[3]
In 2016, she was included in the Albany Business Review's "40 under 40" list where she stated that her role was "never boring or predictable".[4]
In 2018, Brenner joined the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as a senior policy advisor, where she worked on biomedical science, health data interoperability, translational science, and the U.S. bioeconomy.[3][5] She was also involved in initiatives addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States and veterans' suicide prevention.[3]
In 2019, Brenner joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), serving in various capacities. As the chief medical officer for in vitro diagnostics and associate director for medical affairs within the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, she contributed to regulatory compliance, policy development, and advancing the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.[3] Brenner played a role in the COVID-19 response, focusing on diagnostics, data quality, and technological innovation across government agencies.[3]
On January 24, 2025, Brenner was named acting commissioner of Food and Drugs at the FDA.[6] She assumed this role following the departure of Robert Califf[6] and served until Marty Makary became commissioner on April 1, 2025.[7]
References
- ^ "A pulse check on the state of health policy". Politico. Politico. Spring 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "Prestige award presented to ADM Alum" (PDF). Tiger Tracks. Adel-De Soto-Minburn Alumni Association. Fall 2018. p. 18. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sara Brenner". Food and Drug Administration. January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "40 Under 40: Sara Brenner". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Williams, Shawna (April 18, 2018). "Inside the OSTP: Q&A With a Senior Science Policy Advisor". The Scientist. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Reuter, Elise (January 24, 2025). "Sara Brenner named acting FDA commissioner". MedTech Dive. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
- ^ Cancryn, Adam; Lim, David (March 31, 2025). "New FDA commissioner agreed to oust top vaccine regulator after private swearing-in". POLITICO. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
