The Obama administration has tapped Robert Califf, M.D., a cardiologist and clinical researcher long affiliated with Duke University, to be the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

The post requires Senate confirmation, but Dr. Califf is not expected to face serious opposition, The New York Times reports.

Dr. Califf, 63, has served in several roles at Duke University Medical Center from 1982 to 2015, including as director of the cardiac care unit. He founded the Duke University Clinical Research Institute in 2006 and has been involved in a number of professional organizations, including committees of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Dr. Califf became the deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco at the FDA last March.

The FDA is one of the most far-reaching federal agencies, regulating about 20 cents on every dollar spent by American consumers. Its authority extends from drugs and food to medical devices and tobacco.

As commissioner, Dr. Cardill would face difficult questions on some of the biggest public health issues of the day, including how to combat obesity, the rise of electronic cigarettes, and how new genetics are transforming treatments.