Lowell M. Zeta, J.D. Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives - Office of the Commissioner

Lowell M. Zeta, J.D.

Lowell M. Zeta, J.D., is the Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Zeta is responsible for collaborating with the FDA Commissioner to identify opportunities to improve regulatory programs, to develop innovative strategies to emerging and ongoing issues, and to implement new programs and solutions to achieve the FDA’s mission objectives. He works closely with FDA senior leadership and provides executive oversight for operations and regulatory process improvements associated with drugs and biologics, devices and diagnostics, veterinary medicine, human foods, and tobacco products. His responsibilities include driving change, overseeing change management, and ensuring the alignment of the key functions of strategy planning. He serves as the point-person to assess whether strategic initiatives, at all levels of the organization, are in line with the Commissioner’s priorities and the broader goals of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration.

Mr. Zeta was previously with the FDA (2020-2021), serving as a Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, and provided leadership on key public health initiatives, regulatory policies, and enforcement priorities, including the Pandemic Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PREPP) initiative to strengthen the FDA’s response and resiliency to public health emergencies. Prior to his return, Mr. Zeta was a senior partner with Hogan Lovells LLP in Washington, D.C., focusing on life sciences regulatory strategies, compliance and investigations, enforcement and administrative matters involving developers and manufacturers of human and animal drugs, innovative medicines, diagnostics, and combination products. In addition, he has extensive experience, and is a frequent speaker and published writer, on key areas including AI governance, innovative data strategies, quality and manufacturing compliance, and global supply chain resilience.

In addition to his work at Hogan Lovells LLP, Mr. Zeta previously served as a Food and Drug Law Journal Advisory Board Member where he was responsible for peer-review of publications in the Food and Drug Law Journal, covering scholarly work on legislation, regulations, court decisions, and public policies affecting FDA regulated industries.

Mr. Zeta earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Iowa, and his juris doctor from Creighton University and postgraduate degree in law from Georgetown University and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

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