STAT+: Trump expected to pick White House adviser Heidi Overton to lead FDA

President Trump is expected to nominate Heidi Overton, deputy director of domestic policy for the White House, as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to a person familiar with the matter. Overton has been a powerful health policy voice in Trump’s second term and has at times frustrated leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement. She will have to face scrutiny from a Senate panel before getting the job, should Trump choose her.

Overton joined the White House at the start of Trump’s term and has led health policy ever since, working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services. She has helped oversee signature health policy efforts, including the administration’s push to redesign the food pyramid, overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, and work out pricing deals with pharmaceutical companies. Her expected nomination signals continuity in the administration’s health policy direction, though her relationships with MAHA leaders and Senate confirmation will be key tests.