Leadership Changes at the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Introduction
Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg has left her position as the acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).
Main Body
Dr. Høeg's departure comes shortly after the resignation of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. Commissioner Makary left his role because of a disagreement over policies regarding flavored electronic cigarettes. Dr. Høeg had served as the acting director for about five months and was the fifth person to hold this position under the current administration. As a result, Michael Davis, the deputy center director, has taken over as acting director, while Kyle Diamantas has been appointed as the temporary Commissioner. During her time in office, Dr. Høeg frequently questioned the agency's standard rules. For example, she challenged the safety limits for certain infant treatments for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and questioned the fast-track review process for the drug teplizumab. Furthermore, she helped create a plan to reduce the number of childhood vaccines from 18 to 11, making the schedule similar to the one used in Denmark. However, a federal court temporarily blocked this change in March. Dr. Høeg argued that fewer vaccines would reduce a child's exposure to aluminum, although most scientists disagree with this view and maintain that aluminum salts in vaccines are safe.
Conclusion
The FDA is now in a period of transition while the Department of Health and Human Services looks for permanent leaders.
Learning
🚀 Moving Beyond "But" and "And"
At the A2 level, students rely heavily on simple connectors like but and and. To reach B2, you need Complex Transition Markers. These words act as signs that tell the reader exactly how two ideas relate to each other.
🔍 The Analysis
Look at how the text connects opposing or adding ideas:
- "Furthermore..." Instead of just saying "And also," this word signals that the writer is adding a more important or additional piece of evidence to a list.
- "However..." This is a powerful replacement for "But." It creates a clear pause and indicates a contradiction or a change in direction.
- "As a result..." *Instead of using "so," this phrase explicitly links a cause (the departure) to an effect (the new appointment).*n
🛠️ B2 Power-Up: The Substitution Map
| A2 (Simple) | B2 (Professional) | Context from Text |
|---|---|---|
| And | Furthermore | Adding more actions taken by Dr. Høeg |
| But | However | Contrasting the plan with the court's decision |
| So | As a result | Showing why Michael Davis took over |
💡 Pro Tip for Fluency
When you use However or Furthermore at the start of a sentence, always put a comma immediately after it. This gives your writing a professional, rhythmic pace that is characteristic of B2 level English.
*Example: "The plan was ready. However, the court blocked it."