President Trump is expected to nominate Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician and White House domestic policy aide, to serve as the new Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

Overton has regularly briefed Trump on health policy matters and publicly endorsed his recent executive order aimed at reducing childhood vaccination requirements. During the announcement, she stated the measure would enable states to recognize “gold standard” vaccine recommendations and limit mandates for school entry. “We are going to be working directly with states so that we’re not reliant on court cases to resolve this,” Overton said, referring to ongoing litigation over revised vaccine guidelines. “We are doing it right away so parents get the benefit from state laws changing.”

Currently deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, Overton previously held roles at the America First Policy Institute, where she authored pieces condemning abortion as “corrosive” to women and advocating stricter controls on abortion pill prescriptions. She has described these medications as “far more dangerous to women,” aligning with conservative efforts to restrict access.

In September, Overton collaborated with fellow health adviser Calley Means on a strategy report urging additional review of food chemicals and increased oversight of pharmaceutical advertising. When asked about state-level implementation, she emphasized: “You are saying especially to states that are willing, take a look at this scientific assessment. These are the Gold Standard childhood vaccine recommendations, and you should put this into your state law so that when parents go to enroll their kids in school, they do not have to meet some of the requirements for vaccines that are no longer recommended for all children.” She added the approach would align U.S. practices with European nations.

Overton holds board certification in public health and general preventive medicine. A Johns Hopkins Hospital surgical resident where she earned a doctorate in clinical investigation, she previously co-wrote a 2017 op-ed with former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who oversaw the agency from March 2025 until his removal in May. Makary’s tenure was marked by significant staff reductions and policy conflicts with lawmakers, drugmakers, and the White House. Current acting FDA head Kyle Diamantas, a friend of President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., will require Senate confirmation before Overton assumes her role.