Dr. Edith A. Perez is an internationally renowned hematologist-oncologist and transformative leader in breast cancer research and clinical care. She currently serves as director of the breast cancer program in the division of hematology/oncology and director of the cancer clinical study unit at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, while holding a professorship at Mayo Medical School. Dr. Perez earned her medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and completed her fellowship in hematology and oncology at the UC Davis School of Medicine following two years of service in the National Health Service Corps. Throughout her distinguished career spanning more than two decades at Mayo Clinic, she has risen to become Deputy Director at Large for the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, establishing herself as a visionary force in advancing cancer therapeutics and patient-centered care.
Dr. Perez's groundbreaking research has fundamentally reshaped breast cancer treatment paradigms, most notably through her essential leadership in the N9831 clinical trial which demonstrated that adding trastuzumab to chemotherapy significantly improved disease-free and overall survival for patients with early-stage HER-2 positive breast cancer. This landmark research, showing a 33% improvement in survival rates compared to chemotherapy alone, established a new standard of care that has saved thousands of lives worldwide and transformed outcomes for this specific breast cancer subtype. She has pioneered numerous clinical trials exploring innovative approaches to treat and prevent breast cancer, with particular emphasis on evaluating the role of genetic biomarkers in disease development, aggressiveness, and therapeutic efficacy. Her translational research bridges laboratory discoveries with clinical applications, creating pathways for personalized treatment strategies that have directly impacted patient care protocols globally.
Beyond her clinical research contributions, Dr. Perez has exerted significant influence as chair of the Breast Cancer Committee of North Central Cancer Treatment Group and as group vice chair of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, shaping national research priorities and collaborative frameworks. She has authored more than 700 research articles in journals, books, and abstracts, serving on editorial boards of multiple academic publications and frequently lecturing at national and international conferences. In 2025, Dr. Perez expanded her leadership impact by accepting the role of Chief Medical Officer at Cornerstone Specialty Network, where she continues to advance evidence-based initiatives and optimize patient care across community oncology practices. Her current research focuses on enhancing understanding of biological markers and pathways that drive breast cancer growth, with the goal of accelerating access to personalized therapies and improving outcomes for patients through precision medicine approaches.
