Cesar A. Perez, CQA, RAC, Ph.D., is the Director of the Division of Establishment Support, Office of Regulatory Programs (ORP), Office of Product Evaluation and Quality (OPEQ), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The division is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and processes related to imports, registration and listing, exports, regulatory inspections/audits and compliance programs for medical devices. As the director, Perez is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the division and serves as the technical authority and principal advisor to the office director on medical devices programs. From 2015-2018, he was the branch chief within the Division of Premarket Labeling and Compliance, FDA, responsible for enforcing premarket, labeling and promotion/advertising requirements for medical devices. Prior to that, for 7 years, he was a consumer safety officer within the Office of Compliance, CDRH, FDA. In 2009, Perez joined the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and currently holds the rank of Commander (CDR).

Perez attended the State University of New York at New Paltz in 1998 and obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology. In 2008, Perez received his doctorate in microbiology from New York University Sackler Institute. His research thesis focused on elucidating the mechanisms responsible for manipulating cellular protein synthesis in cells infected with the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Perez was the recipient of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Minority Undergraduate Research Fellowship (1997) and the Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship (2007). Perez is passionate about mentoring students and young professionals in leadership development and career progression.