Hamburg Chosen as FDA Commissioner

In reaction to her nomination by President Barack Obama as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, friends and teachers of Margaret A. Hamburg ’77 described the former New York City health commissioner as a lively student with varied interests during her time on campus.

“She wasn’t a blindly channelled science geek from the get-go,” said Janine P. Scott ’77, Hamburg’s roommate during her freshman and senior years.

After her undergraduate years, Hamburg studied at Harvard Medical School. She then went on to conduct neuroscience research at The Rockefeller University in New York before becoming one of the youngest people ever elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine. Her FDA nomination, announced last week, awaits confirmation by the Senate.

In his weekly address on Saturday, Obama praised Hamburg for having a “reputation of integrity...[and] a record of achievement in making Americans safer.”

From Hamburg’s days as an undergraduate, Scott said that she fondly remembers their many exploits together, from travelling all the way to Charleston, SC to see a play by Mark P. O’Donnell ’76, a friend who would go on to win a Tony for “Hairspray,” to simply hanging out with friends at The Harvard Crimson, for which they both reported. Hamburg penned several in-depth reviews on rock and roll albums, including ‘Black and Blue,’ the Rolling Stones’ 1976 album.

Former Medical School professor Leon Eisenberg said that he recognized Hamburg’s academic potential and unique scholarly interests quite early in her Harvard Medical School career.

“From the beginning, she proved to be one of our best students. What made her different was her interest in population health as well as patient-doctor relationships and care,” said Eisenberg.

Eisenberg’s wife and former Dean of Students at Harvard Medical School, Carola Eisenberg, said that she is particularly excited for Hamburg’s nomination because of its implications for women.

“I don’t have to tell you that there are difficulties for women to succeed, particularly in academic centers,” said Eisenberg.

Mark P. Szpak ’77, another undergraduate classmate, said that he recalls frequently seeing Hamburg around campus. The two both lived in Mower freshman year, then became Adams House residents together and both concentrated in Psychology and Social Relations.

Szpak said that he has faith in her ability.

“You couldn’t entrust the FDA to better hands,” he said.

Last week, Obama tapped another Harvard Medical School alumnus, Joshua M. Sharfstein ’91, to serve as Deputy Commissioner of the FDA.