Terry O. Woods, Ph.D.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2021 fellow
Dr. Woods is a senior engineer and standards expert in the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). She has dedicated her career to providing patients access to innovative, safe and effective medical devices.
At CDRH, she leads efforts to accelerate medical device development through the strategic use of consensus standards. Woods is the lead expert on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety requirements for medical devices, helping to ensure the safety of patients and providers. She has been involved in MRI safety since the early 1990s, initiating and leading the development of international standards and FDA guidance.
Dr. Woods also leads and coordinates FDA efforts in the development of standards for testing medical device materials. Dr. Woods is a senior leader and fellow with ASTM International, serving on the Board of Directors from 2018-2020, and currently serves as General Interest Vice-Chair of Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a member of the National Academy of Engineering Roundtable on Biomedical Engineering Materials and Applications, and was named in the Top Ten Federal Engineers by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 2009.
Woods earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
As a White House Leadership Development Program Fellow, she helps lead the Results-Oriented Accountability for Grants CAP Goal and works in the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Financial Management.
