Explore Life at CDRH

CDRH offers an array of career opportunities, and we value the expertise that our employees possess. Because of these highly skilled individuals, the FDA can successfully protect and promote public health.

As a prospective employee, you may be wondering what it’s like to work at CDRH. Our high-performing, diverse workforce will tell you in their own words.

Ariel Ash-Shakoor

Biomedical Engineer and Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC) Lead Reviewer (OHT2)
Q: How did your career begin at CDRH?

A: My career and interest in the FDA began in my senior year of college. I interned in the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL) where I worked on research related to drug eluting stents and drug coated balloons. After completing my degree, I continued as an intern fellow in OSEL for one year. After this gap year, I went to graduate school to complete my Ph.D. and upon earning this degree, I returned to the FDA to work on the review teams in the Office of Cardiovascular devices in the Office of Product Evaluation and Quality (OPEQ). I have been in this role for almost six years now.
Q: What do you do at CDRH?

A: As a part of my role, I review regulatory pre-market submissions for interventional cardiovascular devices and post-market adverse event reports. I review engineering test reports, software testing, and lead the review of, and recommend approval or clearance of medical device premarket submissions, including clinical trials. In addition to my primary responsibilities, I have been on CDRH’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) council for the past two and a half years and previously led the OPEQ DEI&B committee for two years.
Q: What do you value most about working at at CDRH?

A: I value the mission of keeping patient safety first while also being a critical part of the healthcare ecosystem to bring new innovative devices to the market.
Q: What are you most proud of in terms of your work at CDRH?

A: I am most proud of my work on the health equity strategic priority teams, helping with patient engagement town halls, and recommending clearance or approval for submissions, as appropriate, to bring new safe and effective devices to patients. At the patient engagement town halls, we can learn from patients and caregivers to improve our regulatory practices. It makes me proud to know that we play a role in advancing patient treatment options and ultimately, we have a large impact on society.

Elena Choong

Biomedical Engineer, Lead Reviewer (OHT3)
Q: How did your career begin at CDRH?

A: I joined CDRH as a Pathways Intern while working on my master’s degree in biomedical engineering, specializing in neuro motor control. I started in the Renal Devices Branch in the Office of Health Technology 3 (OHT3), also known as the Office of Gastrorenal, ObGyn, General Hospital, and Urology Devices. I was working on a reusable dialyzer project and running into the labs to do my experiments. After my project ended, I loved working with my group so much that I asked if I could be extended and learn how to do the review work. It was such a wonderful experience. Later, I was converted to a full-time employee and began working on my Doctorate in Health Administration (DHA). The hard work of balancing both school and work paid off as I graduated with my DHA in 2022.
Q: What do you do at CDRH?

A: I am a biomedical engineer and lead reviewer on the Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Devices Team in the Division of Renal, Gastrointestional, Obesity and Transplant Devices (DHT3A) in OHT3. I also serve as one of the Office of Product Evaluation and Quality (OPEQ) Inclusion Council representatives.
Q: What do you like most about working at CDRH?

A: The close-knit community. One thing that continues to keep me motivated is OHT3 leadership and my co-workers. Although the workload is very high, all of us are doing everything we can to make the work environment encouraging and fun. I am very grateful to have such a supportive, kind, motivating group to work with.

Arvin Eskandarnia

Cybersecurity Specialist for Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation (OST)/DARSS
Q: What do you do at CDRH?

A: As a cybersecurity specialist, I focus on emerging technologies, such as AI and Quantum Computing, and their effects on the medical device cybersecurity.
Q: What cybersecurity projects have you worked on that have been particularly interesting?

A: I find it challenging to pinpoint a specific cybersecurity project as particularly interesting, because there is a strong synergy between all my projects in ensuring the safety of medical devices. Each project contributes uniquely to this overarching goal, whether it's working on developing standards, raising security awareness, or collaborating with cross-functional teams. It's the collective impact of these initiatives that I find most rewarding in the critical field of medical device cybersecurity. Additionally, I'm particularly drawn to the dynamic interplay of AI and quantum technologies within cybersecurity, which introduces both enhanced threat detection possibilities and new attack vectors, along with the potential for quantum-secure encryption. This intersection of cutting-edge technologies ensures that cybersecurity remains an ever-evolving, captivating, and engaging domain, where we constantly encounter opportunities to learn and adapt to ensure medical devices are resilient against cyber threats.
Q: What skills have you found vital to your job?

A: In my role, I've found several skills to be vital. Adaptability is key, given the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of the cybersecurity landscape. Being able to swiftly adjust to new threats and technologies is crucial. Teamwork is also essential, as effective collaboration with cross-functional teams, including engineers, policy, and regulatory experts, is fundamental to achieving our Center’s cybersecurity goals. Additionally, staying current and even ahead of cybersecurity changes is a continuous commitment. This includes keeping up with emerging threats, trends, and technologies through ongoing learning and professional development.
Q: How would you describe CDRH in one word?

A: Dynamic

Jay Kadakia

Biomedical Engineer and Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC) Lead Reviewer (OHT6)
Q: What do you do at CDRH?

A: As a Total Product Lifecycle (TPLC) Lead Reviewer in the Office of Health Technology 6 (OHT6)/the Office of Orthopedic Devices, I independently review various pre-market and post-market submissions, including leading compliance-related activities.
Q: What is a typical day like at CDRH?

A: The funny thing is there is no typical day. Every day brings on new challenges, action items, and problems to solve.
Q: What skills have you found vital to your job?

A: Willingness to learn, communication, and time management. There is no textbook explanation on how to review all the various devices we see, thus wanting to learn and grow is crucial in the continuous success as a lead reviewer. Having strong communication is essential in getting the message across, but also working with others to come to a solution.
Q: What do you like most about working at CDRH?

A: Challenges involved with the bench testing of orthopedic devices. Joint arthroplasty devices are complex systems and how these devices are assessed on the bench vary, depending on a lot of factors. While some of the test methodologies have been standardized, the reviewers tend to deal with major deviations and unique tests to deal with the novel technologies/device designs we are now seeing. Reviewing these tests and having discussions with my colleagues is something that is exciting for me.