Collage of recently departed FDA personnel
Photo illustration/STAT

By Lizzy Lawrence and J. Emory Parker

April 3, 2025

Lizzy Lawrence

[email protected]

Lizzy Lawrence leads STAT’s coverage of the Food and Drug Administration. She was previously a medical devices reporter. You can reach Lizzy on Signal at lizzylaw.53.

J. Emory Parker

[email protected]

Emory is the data editor at STAT. He’s a data journalist with a background in bioinformatics and molecular biology. You can reach Emory on Signal at jaspar.01.

This post was last updated in April 2026.

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration always looks a little different after an administration change. Political appointees are swapped out, maybe some offices are restructured. 

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But the FDA under the Trump administration is starting to look dramatically different. It’s hard to keep track of how many people have left, with departures stemming from early retirements, layoffs, buyout offers, and forced resignations. 

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  1. Lizzy Lawrence

    FDA Reporter

    Lizzy Lawrence leads STAT’s coverage of the Food and Drug Administration. She was previously a medical devices reporter. You can reach Lizzy on Signal at lizzylaw.53.

  2. J. Emory Parker

    Data Editor

    Emory is the data editor at STAT. He’s a data journalist with a background in bioinformatics and molecular biology. You can reach Emory on Signal at jaspar.01.