Starting in 1985, she held various positions in the pharmaceutical sector. She was Principal Administrator in the Pharmaceuticals Unit of the European Commission between 1998 and 2002, with responsibility for inspections, international activities and legislative initiatives. Ms Cooke joined EMA on 1 July 2002 where she worked first as Head of Inspections and then as Head of International Affairs. Cooke's appointment was criticized in a session of the
Austrian Parliament on 1 April 2021 when
member of parliament Gerald Hauser claimed a potential
conflict of interest between her allowing the vaccine in her regulatory function, while having worked for the very same industry as a
lobbyist in the past. == References ==