Rosa Pérez Perdomo, Ph.D.

DR. ROSA PÉREZ PERDOMO, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Occupational Epidemiology), was appointed Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 2005 - the second Dominican (and first Dominican female) in U.S. history to be appointed to a gubernatorial cabinet level position.

After receiving her M.D. degree from Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in 1966, she served as a clinician at the Mental Health Center in Caquas, Puerto Rico and then acted as Deputy of the Public Health Unit from the Health Region of Caguas. In 1976, Dr. Pérez graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Puerto Rico with a Master's Degree in Public Health. From 1977-1981, she was an Assistant Professor of Public Health for the School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico. Between 1981 and 1987, Dr. Pérez was an Associate Professor of Public Health and Director of the Master's of Public Health programs.

In 1992, Dr. Pérez earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology with a major in occupational epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After receiving her doctorate, Dr. Pérez became a full professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico, where she later served as Dean until her recent appointment as Secretary of Health.

Dr. Pérez has acted as the principal investigator on research projects examining cancer and diabetes prevalence, the epidemiology of electrical generating facilities, low birth weight and census tracts, and the epidemiological profile of HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico. She also serves on various committees and organizations in Puerto Rico and around the U.S. that relate to the fields of medicine and public health.

Last updated: 06/13/05 by Vic