# Janet Woodcock

janet woodcock (born August 29, 1948, Washington, D.C.) is an American doctor of medicine and the current director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), a department of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She joined the FDA in 1986, and has held a number of senior leadership positions there including terms as the Director of CDER from 1994-2004 and 2007–present. She has been described by the National Consumers League as "a passionate advocate for American patients and consumers, an ally to patient advocacy groups, and a fearless leader at the FDA."Woodcock has overseen the modernization and streamlining of CDER and FDA, introducing new initiatives to improve the timeliness and transparency of FDA procedures, and the safety, quality and effectiveness of drugs.