Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein will serve as deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, according to President Barack Obama in his weekly radio address.

“Dr. Sharfstein has been recognized as a national leader for his efforts to protect children from unsafe over-the-counter cough and cold medications. And he’s designed an award-winning program to ensure that Americans with disabilities had access to prescription drugs,” Obama said in his address.

Dr. Sharfstein has already announced his intention to take the job in a statement released by Mayor Sheila Dixon’s office.

“After three challenging and fulfilling years as the Commissioner of Health in Baltimore, I have accepted the position of Principal Deputy Commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is an incredible opportunity to work on behalf of the public health at a national level,” Dr. Sharfstein said.

He will serve under Dr. Margaret A Hamburg, the former New York City health chief who was nominated by Obama as the nation’s principal food and drug watchdog.

Their task won’t be easy considering that fact that the FDA has been under harsh criticism for its failure to secure Americans’ health safety. American consumers have struggled with serious outbreaks of salmonella and other infectious diseases, the most recent one being the salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products that led to nine deaths and sickened more than 660 people. It happened just one year after the blood thinner heparin was recalled because it contained a deadly ingredient traced to China.