January 8, 2008
Dr. Bernadette Dunham Named Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine
Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., announced two major changes in the agency’s senior leadership team. Effective Monday, January 7, 2008, Bernadette Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D., who was deputy director of CVM, has assumed directorship of CVM; and Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., who has served as director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) for over a decade, has been appointed as director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
Dr. Sundlof has extensive experience in the food safety and protection arena. With his background as a toxicologist, he has overseen the regulation of animal feed and drugs for both food and companion animals. The depth and breadth of experience makes him well suited to serve as director of CFSAN.
Dr. Dunham has worked closely with Dr. Sundlof in her previous role as deputy director of CVM since 2006. She has played a critical role, and provided executive leadership, in coordinating and establishing center policy in research, management, scientific evaluation, compliance, and surveillance. While serving as CVM deputy director, Dr. Dunham also was the director for CVM’s Office of Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Drug Development, the office that oversees drug development for minor species, such as zoo animals, ornamental fish, parrots, ferrets, guinea pigs, sheep, goats, catfish, and honeybees. That office also oversees drug development for uncommon diseases in major species, such as cattle, pigs, chicken, turkeys, horses, dogs and cats.
Before joining the FDA in 2002, Dr. Dunham served in several important leadership positions with the American Veterinary Medical Association and held faculty positions at several universities, including at the Department of Pharmacology at the State University of New York Health Science Center (SUNY-HSC) at Syracuse, while concurrently acting as the director of laboratory animal medicine at SUNY-HSC at Syracuse.
In addition to the scientific peer recognition she has received throughout her career, Dr. Dunham continues to collaborate with colleagues outside of FDA, as evidenced by her two FDA Leveraging/Collaboration Awards. One recognized her accomplishments as a member of the Swissmedic Bilateral Collaboration, through which the FDA and its Swiss counterpart work to increase collaboration on facility inspections. The other acknowledged her contributions to the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Security and Prosperity Partnership/Negotiation Team. This partnership is a trilateral effort to increase security and enhance prosperity among the United States, Canada and Mexico through greater cooperation and information sharing.
Issued by:
FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine,
Communications Staff, HFV-12
7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855
Telephone: (240) 276-9300 FAX: (240) 276-9115
Internet Web Site: http://www.fda.gov/cvm
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