Gretchen Opper has devoted her 30-year career to health policy and protecting the rights of people who are sick or have disabilities. Ms. Opper earned her law degree from the Washington College of Law and is a senior clinical policy advisor in the Office of the Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA. She maintains memberships with the American Bar Association, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and the Georgetown University Alumni Association, where she is a committee member for her class.
Ms. Opper is the daughter of Franz Frederick Opper and Barbara Negri Opper. When she was 8 years old, her father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, which progressively attacks nerve cells that control muscles throughout the body. At the time, Mr. Opper was counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as an attorney for the federal government, just as his daughter is today. When he passed away the day after Ms. Opper’s 19th birthday, Ms. Opper decided to focus on health care, disability rights, and finding cures. As a result, she changed her undergraduate major from drama to biology and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and pre-medicine from Georgetown University. Initially, she intended to pursue a doctorate degree in biology and conduct research into Lou Gehrig’s disease, but her senior thesis advisor persuaded her she could influence health more broadly in the policy arena.
As a senior clinical policy advisor with the FDA and an expert on legislation and the privacy of health data, Ms. Opper provides extensive legal assistance by reviewing and commenting on legislation, drafting federal regulations and guidance, serving as the executive secretary of an intra-agency workgroup, and organizing key public and internal meetings. In recognition of her achievements, she has received numerous awards from the FDA. Ms. Opper believes her early education played a crucial role in her success. She attended Montessori school for 10 years, which fostered self-motivation, curiosity, and creativity and instilled a lifelong love of learning. Despite initial questions about how to fulfill her goals, she has become increasingly confident in her professional abilities as a result of her career growth and mission-driven approach. Now highly experienced and knowledgeable, Ms. Opper enjoys working for the FDA, where she collaborates with lawyers and scientists who contribute their respective skills to health policy. She feels privileged to be part of a team that works to protect and promote the public health.
Ms. Opper began working at the FDA in 2012, first as regulatory counsel for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research until 2019 and then as a regulatory policy analyst for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research through 2022 before adopting her current senior clinical policy advisor position in the Office of the Commissioner. Prior to joining the FDA, she was a legislative affairs officer with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, a contract attorney for the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, A DNA evidence expert at the District of Columbia United States Attorney’s Office with the U.S. Department of Justice, a search department supervisor at Litman Law in Virginia, and a research associate with the Institute of Medicine at the National Academies. Ms. Opper’s previous experience also includes roles with the National Institutes of Health’s Office of the General Council and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the National Academies’ National Research Council; the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer; the Office of U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey; and U.S. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt’s Campaign Committee. Notably, while she was a student at Georgetown University, she also worked as a horseback riding instructor.
Looking ahead, Ms. Opper says she would like to return to politics. She also hopes to rescue farm animals that are similar to the ones she helps at the sanctuary where she currently volunteers.