[4] From 1992 to 1995 and from 1996 to 1998 she worked for the lobbying organisation European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)[a] as Manager of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs.
[5][4][6] 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.
[3] In November 2020 Cooke was appointed Executive Director of the EMA,[1] also taking the position of chairperson at the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) at the same time.
On 16 March 2021, Cooke led an EMA press conference to inform about the ongoing investigation into reports of side-effects related to the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Cooke said the EMA remains "firmly convinced" that the vaccine benefits outweigh the risks of potential side effects.