M. Khair ElZarrad

Dr. ElZarrad is the Deputy Director of the Office of Medical Policy (OMP) at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), where he leads the development, coordination, and implementation of medical policy programs and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining the FDA, he served as Acting Director of the Clinical and Healthcare Research Policy Division with the Office of Science Policy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At NIH he worked on policies related to human subject protections; the design, conduct, and oversight of clinical research; and enhancing quality assurance programs at pharmaceutical development and production facilities. Dr. ElZarrad currently leads multiple projects focused on exploring the potential utility of real-world evidence, innovative clinical trial designs, and the integration of technological advances in pharmaceutical development. He earned a doctoral degree in medical sciences with a focus on cancer metastases from the University of South Alabama, as well as a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.