While her career has been filled with highlights, Ms. Opper takes the most pride in using her legislative knowledge to protect and promote public health.
ROCKVILLE, MD, July 16, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Gretchen Opper has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Drawing on years of professional experience in science, politics, and law, Ms. Opper leads health policy development at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Senior Clinical Policy Advisor in the Office of the Commissioner. Previously, she worked for FDA as a Regulatory Counsel in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, a Regulatory Policy Analyst in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and a Congressional Affairs Specialist in the Office of Legislation. Over the years, Ms. Opper also gained valuable expertise in law with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) Office of the General Counsel, and as a supervisor at Litman Law.
During the early stages of her career, Ms. Opper honed her proficiency in policy analysis as a Research Associate at The National Academy of Medicine and a fellow at the National Academy of Sciences after beginning her federal career in legislation as a Staff Assistant on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and in U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's Office. Additionally, Ms. Opper interned for U.S. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt's Campaign Committee in the mid-1990s and in the office of U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey, later working on U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's 2010 reelection campaign. She also worked as a Biologist at NIH and as a Legislative Affairs Officer at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Motivated by her father's death from Lou Gehrig's disease when she was nineteen years old, she originally planned to pursue a doctoral degree in science and conduct research into the disease until her senior thesis adviser persuaded her she could influence public health more broadly outside the lab.
An expert in her field, Ms. Opper majored in biology and completed the premedical program at Georgetown University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Science. Subsequently, she expanded her professional knowledge, earning a J.D. from the Washington College of Law in 2001. Driven to remain abreast of changes in the legal field, Ms. Opper joined the Health Law and Environmental Law societies at the Washington College of Law and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
While her career has been filled with highlights, Ms. Opper takes the most pride in using her legislative knowledge to protect and promote public health. The cornerstone of her success lies in her educational foundation, including The Hotchkiss School, which taught her discipline, and Montessori school, which instilled a lifelong love of learning. Looking forward, she plans to continue to shape policy within the Department of Health and Human Services before eventually returning to politics.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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