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TRENDS & PERSPECTIVES

Joseph L. Hackett, PhD, former director of special programs at the Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Device Evaluation and Safety (OIVD), has passed away. He was a member of the OIVD director’s staff, and oversaw the education and training of OIVD personnel in the area of genomics for IVDs. Hackett held several different industry positions, including quality control manager at Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, IL). After working in industry, he joined what is now FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. While at FDA, Hackett was involved in and had partial responsibility for several programs such as standards, investigational device exemptions, and premarket approval, primarily for IVDs. He was also a long-time member of IVD Technology’s editorial advisory board. He received a BS in medical technology, and an MS and a PhD in clinical pathology from Ohio State University (Columbus, OH).