Cesar Perez Fernandez has a Doctorate in Biology/Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico, with a postdoctoral degree in Environmental Microbiology from Johns Hopkins University. His experience is focused on the use of molecular and bioinformatics tools in the study of microorganisms in extreme environments as models to understand climate change, desertification, and molecular mechanisms of stress adaptation. He currently serves as the Head of the Bioengineering Program in Santa Cruz and Director of the Biotechnology Research Center.