Dr. Robert L. Kristovich, a Tier 2 member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), is the Director of the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, Research and Development Directorate (RD-CB) for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). RD-CB serves as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO), an integral component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). As Director of DTRA JSTO, Dr. Kristovich leads an office of 200 professionals including eight divisions of scientists, researchers and administrative staff. He manages the execution of over $505 million focused on transforming science and technology to prepare for current and emerging chemical and biological (CB) threats to better protect the Joint Force, our allies, and the nation.

Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Kristovich served as Chief of the Threat Agent Sciences Division of the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC). In that role, Dr. Kristovich directed a team of CBC experts who evaluate emerging chemical threats facing the Joint Force and the nation. Among his responsibilities, he headed the Forensic Analytical Center, one of only two U.S. laboratories accredited by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

He previously served as a senior adviser to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Chem Bio Defense, in providing a strategic vision for how the CBDP can use science and technology to help the warfighter win in a CB-contested environment.

On Jan. 1, 2022, Dr. Kristovich was appointed as the U.S. representative of the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), providing science and technology guidance in overseeing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) treaty. OPCW is a global body of 193 member states, including the U.S., which seeks to eliminate the production and use of chemical weapons. The SAB is a consortium of 25 preeminent experts chosen from the state parties to the CWC treaty. It provides scientific advice and support to the Director General and the state parties regarding implementation of the treaty and deterrence of chemical weapons use.

During his nearly twenty years of government service, Dr. Kristovich has functioned as a consultant to various national and international groups on matters involving the defense against use of chemical and biological weapons. He served as the scientific expert in support of the successful, first ever, U.S.-led effort to add new agents to the Schedule 1 list of banned chemicals in the CWC. Dr. Kristovich has been recognized for his expertise in understanding the science behind, and countermeasures against, Novichok-series compounds, a lethal nerve agent.