Kathryn Capanna
Acting Associate Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships and Tech Innovation, Centers for Devices and Radiological Health, US Food and Drug Administration
Kathryn Capanna has nearly 20 years of experience in medical device innovation and evaluation. She serves as Associate Office Director for Strategic Development within FDA CDRH’s Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation (OST). In that role, she is dedicated to building and sustaining productive partnerships and programs to drive more equitable and patient-centered MedTech innovation, evaluation, access, and care. At FDA, Kathryn has led many cross-functional teams to design, build and operate a broad portfolio of strategic programs to advance innovation and protect patient safety. This includes expanding CDRH’s involvement in public-private consortia and other strategic partnerships tackling challenges facing the medtech ecosystem. She has been integrally involved in strategic initiatives and policy development to streamline Clinical Trials, advance use of Real-World Evidence, and improve diversity and integration of patient perspectives in MedTech innovation and evaluation. Prior to FDA she worked in MedTech industry and academic research environments. Kathryn’s education includes biomedical engineering, public health, and a healthcare MBA.
