NDSLJAX Leadership

Commanding Officer

CDR Erick Roman Perez, Ph.D., USN
 

CDR Erick Roman Perez
Medical Service Corps

Commander Erick Roman Perez attended the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus where he attained a Baccalaureate degree in Biology in 1998 and a Master of Science in Molecular Virology in 2002. Commander Roman Perez earned his Doctorate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2009 from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and subsequently completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Epidemiology from February 2009 to October 2011 focused on Breast Cancer Molecular Biomarkers. In November 2011, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the US Navy’s Medical Service Corps.

Commander Roman Perez’s assignments and key accomplishments include being Deputy Director of Operations at the Jacksonville-Navy Drug Screening Laboratory from December 2011 to June 2015. His duties included providing legal support for administrative separation boards and court martials, validating drug results, and ensuring day-to-day operations. He was one of the first in the DoD Drug Testing Program to be recognized as an expert witness for SPICE (synthetic cannabinoids) drug cases.

In July 2015, Commander Roman Perez received an assignment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as an assistant professor in the chemistry department, teaching general chemistry to over 100 midshipmen per academic year. Notable responsibilities besides teaching include course coordinator, midshipman conduct remediator, plebe academic advisor, and chemistry department temporary additional duty ensign coordinator.

In July 2019, Commander Roman Perez received an assignment to the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) at Dover Air Force Base as Chief of the DoD Drug Detection Quality Assurance (QA) Laboratory. Directing the Open and Blind Proficiency Program for the USA, USN, and USAF Drug Testing Laboratories. Later, Commander Roman Perez was appointed Director of the Division of Forensic Toxicology Division at AFMES and oversaw the daily operations of the Post-Mortem/Human Performance, DoD QA, and Special Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratories within the Division.

Since August 2023, Commander Roman Perez has been serving as Director of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Medical Defense Program at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) where he oversees the development and maintenance of defensive medical capabilities, medical countermeasures, surveillance, detection, and protection against CBRN threats.

On 30 May 2025, CDR Roman Perez assumed duties as Commanding Officer, Navy Drug Screening Laboratory, Jacksonville, Florida.

Throughout his career, Commander Roman Perez’s service includes multiple operational committees and session chair of several working groups.  His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship Award.

 

Executive Officer

CDR Katherine V. Dozier, Ph.D., USN
 

CDR Katherine Dozier 
Medical Service Corps
Commander Katherine Dozier is a native of Petrolia, TX.  In 2004, she graduated from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.  In 2009, she received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.  CDR Dozier was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps in November 2010 and completed Officer Development School in Newport, RI in April 2011.
 
In April 2011, CDR Dozier reported directly to her first duty station, the US Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, where she taught courses in chemistry, biology, and biological and chemical warfare agents.  In August 2014, CDR Dozier reported to the Navy Drug Screening Laboratory (NDSL), San Diego.  While at NDSL, San Diego, she served as the Deputy Director for Operations over Initial Screening, then as the deputy Senior Officer.  She was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in September 2017.
 
In October 2017, CDR Dozier was assigned to the Defense Health Agency Detachment - Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES), Division of Forensic Toxicology, Dover, Delaware, where she served as Chief, Special Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory (SFTDTL) and a Forensic Toxicologist for the Human Performance/Postmortem Laboratory (HP/PM).  In February 2020, she filled the mission critical billet of Financial Administrative Officer, overseeing budget, contracting, and government purchase card programs.  In October 2020, CDR Dozier was selected to serve as Deputy Director, Division of Forensic Toxicology, and was subsequently named Director in March 2021.  In June 2022, CDR Dozier was slated for her first Executive Medicine tour as the Executive Officer of Navy Drug Screening Laboratory, Jacksonville.  She oversaw the DoD’s second-largest drug testing forensic toxicology laboratory, and the method development and instrument evaluation center. 
 
CDR Dozier’s military awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal (1), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), Joint Service Achievement Medal (1), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (1). 
 
CDR Dozier is certified as a Fellow by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology and is the only Active Duty Naval Officer who currently holds that certification.  She has authored peer-reviewed articles and presented scientific talks at national conferences.  She also serves on the American Board of Forensic Toxicology Examination Committee and Society of Forensic Toxicologists Awards Committee.