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Technologies and Marketplace Innovations to Improve Health Care Access and Outcomes

Event Date: June 28, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Robert M. Califf, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) will launch the new NIDCD Director’s Seminar Series: Advancing the Science of Communication to Improve Lives. The inaugural seminar, “Technologies and Marketplace Innovations to Improve Health Care Access and Outcomes,” will feature FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., who will discuss innovative strategies and technologies that move us toward more equitable and effective health care and public health. This will include the recent over-the-counter hearing aid final rule and the potential impact on hearing health innovation in the marketplace and access to hearing devices. Following Dr. Califf’s presentation, NIDCD Director Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., will moderate a discussion with several NIH leaders.  
 
Discussants:

The NIDCD Director’s Seminar Series will feature next-generation research that advances the science of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Seminar topics are designed to align with the themes and priorities of the 2023-2027 NIDCD Strategic Plan, including innovations with the potential to improve the lives of people with hearing loss and other communication disorders. 
 
The series of semi-annual lectures is open to all NIH scientific and program staff, contractors, and trainees; the extramural community; and other interested groups and individuals.
 
The live videocast will be captioned and recorded for later viewing. Individuals with disabilities who need sign language interpreting and/or other reasonable accommodations to participate in this event should contact Shirley Simson by June 14. 

About the Speaker

Profile photo of Dr. Califf.

Dr. Robert M. Califf was confirmed in February 2022 as the 25th Commissioner of Food and Drugs. 

As Commissioner, Dr. Califf oversees the full breadth of the FDA portfolio and execution of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other applicable laws. This includes assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices; the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and products that give off electronic radiation; and the regulation of tobacco products.

Dr. Califf has had a long and distinguished career as a physician, researcher, and leader in the fields of science and medicine. He is a nationally recognized expert in cardiovascular medicine, health outcomes research, health care quality, and clinical research, and a leader in the growing field of translational research, which is key to ensuring that advances in science translate into medical care. 

This is Dr. Califf’s second stint as Commissioner. He also served in 2016 as the 22nd Commissioner. Before assuming the position at that time, he served as the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco. 

Prior to rejoining the FDA in 2022, Dr. Califf was head of medical strategy and Senior Advisor at Alphabet Inc., contributing to strategy and policy for its health subsidiaries Verily Life Sciences and Google Health. He joined Alphabet in 2019, after serving as a professor of medicine and vice chancellor for clinical and translational research at Duke University. He also served as director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute and was the founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. 

Dr. Califf is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a fellowship in cardiology at Duke.
 


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