Stephen Hahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Hahn
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Hahn in 2019
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| 24th Commissioner of Food and Drugs | |
| In office December 17, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Brett Giroir (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Janet Woodcock (acting) Robert Califf |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 22, 1960 |
| Education | Rice University (BA) Temple University (MD) |
Stephen Michael Hahn (born January 22, 1960) is an American physician who served as the Commissioner of Food and Drugs from 2019 to 2021. This role means he was in charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is a government agency that makes sure our food, medicines, and other health products are safe and work well.
Before leading the FDA, Dr. Hahn was a cancer doctor, also known as an oncologist. He was a top medical leader at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2021, he became the chief medical officer at Flagship Pioneering. This is a company that helped start Moderna, which is known for making vaccines.
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Education and Early Career
Stephen Hahn studied biology at Rice University, earning his degree in 1980. He then went to Temple University and became a medical doctor in 1984. After medical school, he trained in internal medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine. He also completed a special training program in medical oncology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is a big research center for health.
Working as a Doctor
After his training, Dr. Hahn worked as a radiation oncologist in California. This type of doctor uses radiation to treat cancer. He also worked at the NIH again, where he became a commander in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. This is a group of health professionals who work for the U.S. government.
From 1993 to 1999, he was in charge of the Prostate Cancer Clinic at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI is part of the NIH and focuses on cancer research.
Work at the University of Pennsylvania
In 1996, Dr. Hahn joined the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. There, he worked as a radiation and medical oncologist. He also did research, with funding from the NIH. He helped expand the research programs in the Department of Radiation Oncology.
In 2013, he was recognized as a fellow by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). He also became the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology until 2014. During his time at Penn, he helped with the opening of the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine Robert's Proton Center. This center is one of the largest proton therapy centers linked to a university hospital in the world. Proton therapy is an advanced way to treat cancer.
Leadership at MD Anderson Cancer Center
In 2015, Dr. Hahn became the chair of radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was in charge of different departments there, including those for treating cancer with radiation and studying radiation.
In 2018, he became the Chief Medical Executive of MD Anderson Cancer Center. While working there, he treated many types of cancer, including those in the chest, bones, and urinary system. He also used a special treatment called photodynamic therapy for some cancers.
Leading the FDA
On November 1, 2019, President Donald Trump announced that he wanted Stephen Hahn to be the head of the Food and Drug Administration. The United States Senate approved his nomination, and he was sworn in on December 17, 2019.
FDA's Role During the Pandemic
Dr. Hahn played an important role in the U.S. government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The FDA's job was to make sure that new tests, treatments, and vaccines for COVID-19 were safe and effective.
In March 2020, Dr. Hahn joined the White House Coronavirus Task Force. This group helped guide the country's response to the pandemic.
The FDA worked to approve many COVID-19 tests developed by different laboratories. This helped more people get tested for the virus. The FDA also gave special permission for some treatments to be used during the emergency. For example, they allowed the use of convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is blood plasma from people who have recovered from an infection, which contains antibodies.
Dr. Hahn left his position at the FDA on January 20, 2021. Six months later, he became the chief medical officer at Flagship Pioneering, the company connected to Moderna.
Memberships
Dr. Hahn is a member of several important medical and research groups. These include the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research. These groups help doctors and scientists share knowledge and improve treatments.
Personal Life
Stephen Hahn has been married for over 30 years. He and his wife have four children.
