David Dexter Perkins (May 2, 1919 – January 2, 2007) was an American geneticist, a member of the faculty of the Department of Biology at Stanford University for more than 58 years, from 1948 until his death in 2007.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he served as president of the Genetics Society of America in 1977.

His associates included many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who went on to scientific careers throughout the world.

At the time that he died in 2007, a substantial percentage of all researchers in the world who were working with Neurospora crassa had either trained with or collaborated with Perkins or one of his students or associates.

Perkins is best known for his research into the control and regulation of cell division and sexual reproduction in fungi.