Principal Investigator
Kara Bernstein
Lab Head
B.A. Bryn Mawr College, 2000
Ph.D. Yale University, 2006 (Advisor Susan Baserga)
Post-doctorate Fellow, Columbia University, 2006-2011 (Advisor Rodney Rothstein)
Lab Head
B.A. Bryn Mawr College, 2000
Ph.D. Yale University, 2006 (Advisor Susan Baserga)
Post-doctorate Fellow, Columbia University, 2006-2011 (Advisor Rodney Rothstein)
Post-doctorate
Sarah Hengel, Ph.D.
Post-Doctorate Fellow
August 15, 2017 - current
B.S. College of Saint Scholastica, 2010
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 2017 (Advisor Maria Spies)
Funding: 2017 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
2019 Post-doctoral Hillman Fellowship for Innovative Cancer Research
2019 American Cancer Society Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Lab Publications:
Rosenbaum JC*, Bonilla B*, Hengel SR*, Mertz TM, Herken BW, Kazemier HG, Pressimone CA, Ratterman TC, MacNary E, De Magis A, Kwon Y, Godin SK, Van Houten B, Normolle DP, Sung P, Das SR, Paeschke K, Roberts SA, VanDemark AP, Bernstein K.A. (2019) The Rad51 paralogs facilitate a novel DNA strand specific damage tolerance pathway, Nature Communications, 10(1): 3515. *Equal contribution
Bonilla, B.*, Hengel, S.R.*, Grundy, M.K., Bernstein, K.A. (2020) RAD51 gene family structure and function, Annual Review of Genetics, In press. *Equal contribution
Post-Doctorate Fellow
August 15, 2017 - current
B.S. College of Saint Scholastica, 2010
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 2017 (Advisor Maria Spies)
Funding: 2017 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
2019 Post-doctoral Hillman Fellowship for Innovative Cancer Research
2019 American Cancer Society Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Lab Publications:
Rosenbaum JC*, Bonilla B*, Hengel SR*, Mertz TM, Herken BW, Kazemier HG, Pressimone CA, Ratterman TC, MacNary E, De Magis A, Kwon Y, Godin SK, Van Houten B, Normolle DP, Sung P, Das SR, Paeschke K, Roberts SA, VanDemark AP, Bernstein K.A. (2019) The Rad51 paralogs facilitate a novel DNA strand specific damage tolerance pathway, Nature Communications, 10(1): 3515. *Equal contribution
Bonilla, B.*, Hengel, S.R.*, Grundy, M.K., Bernstein, K.A. (2020) RAD51 gene family structure and function, Annual Review of Genetics, In press. *Equal contribution
Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D.
Post-Doctorate Fellow January 1, 2019 - current
Graduate Student from July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2018
B.A. University of Rochester
Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Advisor Kara Bernstein)
Funding: National Institutes of Health Pre-doctoral Fellowship (F31ES027321)
Lab Publications:
Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Prakash, R., Sullivan, M.R., Brunette, G.J., De Cian, A., Concordet, J.P., Giovannangeli, C., Dirks, W.G., Eberth, S., Bernstein, K.A., Jasin, M., Modesti, M. (2019) Differential requirements for the RAD51 paralogs in genome repair and maintenance in human cells, PLoS Genetics, 15(10): e1008355.
Sullivan, M.R., Bernstein K.A. (2018) RAD-ical New Insights into RAD51 Regulation, Genes, 13:9(12).
Kondrashova O., Nguyen M., Shield-Artin K., Tinker A.V., Teng N.N.H., Harrell M.I., Kuiper M.J., Ho G.Y., Barker H., Jasin M., Prakash R., Kass E.M., Sullivan M.R., Brunette G.J., Bernstein, K.A., Coleman R.L., Floquet A., Friedlander M., Kichenadasse G., O'Malley D.M., Oza A.M., Sun J.X., Robillard L., Maloney L., Bowtell D.D.L., Giordano H, Wakefield M.J., Kaufmann S.H., Simmons A.D., Harding T.C., Raponi M., McNeish I.A., Swisher E.M., Lin K., Scott C.L. (2017) Secondary somatic mutations restoring RAD51C and RAD51D associated with acquired resistance to the PARP inhibitor Rucaparib in high-grade ovarian carcinoma, Cancer Discovery, 7(9): 984-998.
Godin, S.K., Sullivan, M.R., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) Novel insights into RAD51 activity and regulation during homologous recombination and DNA replication, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 94: 1-12.
McClendon, T.B.*, Sullivan, M.R.*, Bernstein, K.A.*, Yanowitz, J.L.* (2016) Promotion of homologous recombination by SWS-1 in complex with RAD-51 paralogs in Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, 203(1): 133-145. *Equal contribution
*Featured as a Genetics Primer [Turcotte, C.A., Andrews, N.P., Sloat, S.A., Checchi, P.M. CRISPR Technology Reveals RAD(51)-ical Mechanisms of Repair in Roundworms: An Educational Primer for Use with “Promotion of Homologous Recombination by SWS-1- in Complex with RAD-51 Paralogs in Caenorhabditis elegans” (2016) Genetics 204: 883-891]
Böhm, S., Szakal, B., Herken, B.W., Sullivan, M.R., Mihalevic, M.J., Kabbinavar, F.F., Branzei, D., Clark, N.L., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The budding yeast ubiquitin protease Ubp7 is a novel component involved in S-phase progression, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291(9): 4442.
Godin, S.K., Meslin, C., Kabbinavar F., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Hornack, C., Mihalevic, M.J., Yoshida, K., Sullivan, M., Clark, N.L.*, Bernstein, K.A.* (2015) Evolutionary and functional analysis of the invariant SWIM domain in the conserved Shu2/SWS1 protein family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Homo sapiens, Genetics, 199(4): 1023-1033. *Co-corresponding
*Issue Highlight for the Genetics Journal and featured on SGD
Post-Doctorate Fellow January 1, 2019 - current
Graduate Student from July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2018
B.A. University of Rochester
Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Advisor Kara Bernstein)
Funding: National Institutes of Health Pre-doctoral Fellowship (F31ES027321)
Lab Publications:
Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Prakash, R., Sullivan, M.R., Brunette, G.J., De Cian, A., Concordet, J.P., Giovannangeli, C., Dirks, W.G., Eberth, S., Bernstein, K.A., Jasin, M., Modesti, M. (2019) Differential requirements for the RAD51 paralogs in genome repair and maintenance in human cells, PLoS Genetics, 15(10): e1008355.
Sullivan, M.R., Bernstein K.A. (2018) RAD-ical New Insights into RAD51 Regulation, Genes, 13:9(12).
Kondrashova O., Nguyen M., Shield-Artin K., Tinker A.V., Teng N.N.H., Harrell M.I., Kuiper M.J., Ho G.Y., Barker H., Jasin M., Prakash R., Kass E.M., Sullivan M.R., Brunette G.J., Bernstein, K.A., Coleman R.L., Floquet A., Friedlander M., Kichenadasse G., O'Malley D.M., Oza A.M., Sun J.X., Robillard L., Maloney L., Bowtell D.D.L., Giordano H, Wakefield M.J., Kaufmann S.H., Simmons A.D., Harding T.C., Raponi M., McNeish I.A., Swisher E.M., Lin K., Scott C.L. (2017) Secondary somatic mutations restoring RAD51C and RAD51D associated with acquired resistance to the PARP inhibitor Rucaparib in high-grade ovarian carcinoma, Cancer Discovery, 7(9): 984-998.
Godin, S.K., Sullivan, M.R., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) Novel insights into RAD51 activity and regulation during homologous recombination and DNA replication, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 94: 1-12.
McClendon, T.B.*, Sullivan, M.R.*, Bernstein, K.A.*, Yanowitz, J.L.* (2016) Promotion of homologous recombination by SWS-1 in complex with RAD-51 paralogs in Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, 203(1): 133-145. *Equal contribution
*Featured as a Genetics Primer [Turcotte, C.A., Andrews, N.P., Sloat, S.A., Checchi, P.M. CRISPR Technology Reveals RAD(51)-ical Mechanisms of Repair in Roundworms: An Educational Primer for Use with “Promotion of Homologous Recombination by SWS-1- in Complex with RAD-51 Paralogs in Caenorhabditis elegans” (2016) Genetics 204: 883-891]
Böhm, S., Szakal, B., Herken, B.W., Sullivan, M.R., Mihalevic, M.J., Kabbinavar, F.F., Branzei, D., Clark, N.L., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The budding yeast ubiquitin protease Ubp7 is a novel component involved in S-phase progression, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291(9): 4442.
Godin, S.K., Meslin, C., Kabbinavar F., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Hornack, C., Mihalevic, M.J., Yoshida, K., Sullivan, M., Clark, N.L.*, Bernstein, K.A.* (2015) Evolutionary and functional analysis of the invariant SWIM domain in the conserved Shu2/SWS1 protein family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Homo sapiens, Genetics, 199(4): 1023-1033. *Co-corresponding
*Issue Highlight for the Genetics Journal and featured on SGD
Ph.D. Students
Braulio Bonilla
Graduate Student
June 1, 2016 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay, 2008
Funding: Fulbright Scholar
Lab Publications:
Rosenbaum JC*, Bonilla B*, Hengel SR*, Mertz TM, Herken BW, Kazemier HG, Pressimone CA, Ratterman TC, MacNary E, De Magis A, Kwon Y, Godin SK, Van Houten B, Normolle DP, Sung P, Das SR, Paeschke K, Roberts SA, VanDemark AP, Bernstein K.A. (2019) The Rad51 paralogs facilitate a novel DNA strand specific damage tolerance pathway, Nature Communications, 10(1): 3515. *Equal contribution
Graduate Student
June 1, 2016 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay, 2008
Funding: Fulbright Scholar
Lab Publications:
Rosenbaum JC*, Bonilla B*, Hengel SR*, Mertz TM, Herken BW, Kazemier HG, Pressimone CA, Ratterman TC, MacNary E, De Magis A, Kwon Y, Godin SK, Van Houten B, Normolle DP, Sung P, Das SR, Paeschke K, Roberts SA, VanDemark AP, Bernstein K.A. (2019) The Rad51 paralogs facilitate a novel DNA strand specific damage tolerance pathway, Nature Communications, 10(1): 3515. *Equal contribution
Thong Luong
Graduate Student
May 29, 2017 - current
B.S., University of Tennessee, 2011
Lab Publications:
Baldock, R.A., Pressimone, C.A., Baird, J.M., Khodakov, A., Luong, T.T., Grundy, M.C., Smith, C.M., Karpenshif, Y., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Prakash, R., Jasin, M., Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Modesti, M., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) RAD51D splice variants and cancer-associated mutations reveal XRCC2 interaction to be critical for homologous recombination, DNA Repair 76: 99-107.
Graduate Student
May 29, 2017 - current
B.S., University of Tennessee, 2011
Lab Publications:
Baldock, R.A., Pressimone, C.A., Baird, J.M., Khodakov, A., Luong, T.T., Grundy, M.C., Smith, C.M., Karpenshif, Y., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Prakash, R., Jasin, M., Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Modesti, M., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) RAD51D splice variants and cancer-associated mutations reveal XRCC2 interaction to be critical for homologous recombination, DNA Repair 76: 99-107.
Hayley Rein
Graduate Student
March 25, 2019 - current
B.S., University of South Florida, 2018
Graduate Student
March 25, 2019 - current
B.S., University of South Florida, 2018
Mohd Azrin Jamalruddin
Graduate Student
July 1, 2019 - current
B.S., Michigan State University
Lab Publications:
Brunette, G.J., Jamalruddin, M.A., Baldock, R.A., Clark, N.L., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) Evolution-based screening enables genome-wide prioritization and discovery of DNA repair genes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39): 19593-19599.
Graduate Student
July 1, 2019 - current
B.S., Michigan State University
Lab Publications:
Brunette, G.J., Jamalruddin, M.A., Baldock, R.A., Clark, N.L., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) Evolution-based screening enables genome-wide prioritization and discovery of DNA repair genes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39): 19593-19599.
Technicians
Kyle Rapchak
Laboratory Technician
August 26, 2019 - current
B.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2019
Laboratory Technician
August 26, 2019 - current
B.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2019
Undergraduate
Chelsea Smith
Undergraduate Researcher
September 11, 2017 - current
Funding: 2018 Chancellor's Research Fellowship (Fall Semester)
2018 Honors College Health Sciences Summer Research Fellowship
2018 Dietrich School Summer Undergraduate Research Award (Declined)
Lab Publications:
Baldock, R.A., Pressimone, C.A., Baird, J.M., Khodakov, A., Luong, T.T., Grundy, M.C., Smith, C.M., Karpenshif, Y., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Prakash, R., Jasin, M., Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Modesti, M., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) RAD51D splice variants and cancer-associated mutations reveal XRCC2 interaction to be critical for homologous recombination, DNA Repair 76: 99-107.
Martino, J., Brunnette, G.J., Barroso-Gonzalez, J., Moiseeva, T.N., Smith, C.M., Bakkenist, C.J., O'Sullivan, R.O., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) The human Shu complex functions with PDS5B and SPIDR to promote homologous recombination, Nucleic Acids Research, In press.
Undergraduate Researcher
September 11, 2017 - current
Funding: 2018 Chancellor's Research Fellowship (Fall Semester)
2018 Honors College Health Sciences Summer Research Fellowship
2018 Dietrich School Summer Undergraduate Research Award (Declined)
Lab Publications:
Baldock, R.A., Pressimone, C.A., Baird, J.M., Khodakov, A., Luong, T.T., Grundy, M.C., Smith, C.M., Karpenshif, Y., Bratton-Palmer, D.S., Prakash, R., Jasin, M., Garcin, E.B., Gon, S., Modesti, M., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) RAD51D splice variants and cancer-associated mutations reveal XRCC2 interaction to be critical for homologous recombination, DNA Repair 76: 99-107.
Martino, J., Brunnette, G.J., Barroso-Gonzalez, J., Moiseeva, T.N., Smith, C.M., Bakkenist, C.J., O'Sullivan, R.O., Bernstein, K.A. (2019) The human Shu complex functions with PDS5B and SPIDR to promote homologous recombination, Nucleic Acids Research, In press.
We are always looking for highly motivated undergraduates, rotation students, and post-doctorate fellows!
Former Trainees
Graduate Students
2012-2015 |
Stephen Godin |
Current Position: |
Oncology Scientist at Cygnal Therapeutics |
2014-2020 |
Meghan Sullivan |
Current Position: |
Review Analyst-Variant Scientist at GeneDx |
Post-doctorate
2016-2018 |
Robbie Baldock |
Current Position: |
Lecturer in Biochemistry at Solent University |
2015-2018 |
Julieta Martino |
Current Position: |
Post-doctorate |
2012-2015 |
Stefanie Bohm |
Current Position: |
Editor at EMBO Journal |
2012-2013 |
Cheryl (Clauson) Kozina |
Current Position: |
Associate Professor (with tenure) at St. Leo University |
Medical Students
2012-2015 |
Yoav Karpenshif |
Current Position: |
Internal Medicine Resident at Harvard's Beth Israel Deaconnes Hospital |
2013-2015 |
Zhuying Zhang (Rebecca) |
Current Position: |
Tsinghua Medical Student |
2015-2017 |
Anton Karpenshif |
Current Position: |
General Surgery Resident U. Louisville |
Undergraduate Students
2015-2018 |
Catherine Pressimone |
Current Position: |
Medical Student at University of Pittsburgh |
2016 |
Gannon Rooney |
Current Position: |
Medical Student University of Pittsburgh |
2014-2015 |
Jared Baird |
Current Position: |
Anesthesiology Resident Wake Forrest |
2011-2015 |
Faiz Kabbinavar |
Current Position: |
Medical Student |
2013-2014 |
Alison Lee |
Current Position: |
Ph.D. Student University of Texas Austin |
2013-2014 |
Morgan Casal |
Current Position: |
Pitt PharmD Student |
2013-2014 |
Shahm Raslan |
Current Position: |
Medical Student Florida International University |
2011-2013 |
Dominique Bratton-Palmer |
Current Position: |
Graduate Student at Stanford University |
2011-2013 |
Christina Hornack |
Current Position: |
Medical Student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine |
2012-2013 |
Robert Caro |
Current Position: |
Dental Student at Temple University |
2012 |
Cynthia Thomas |
Current Position: |
N.A. |
2017-2020 |
Chelsea Smith |
Current Position: |
Graduate Student University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
Technicians
2015-2017 |
Benjamin Herken |
Current Position: |
Ph.D. Student at University California San Fransisco TETRAD program |
2016-2019 |
Gregory Brunette |
Current Position: |
Ph.D. Student at Harvard University in Bioinformatics |
2018-2020 |
McKenzie Grundy |
Current Position: |
Research Technician University of Pittsburgh |
2011-2018 |
Michael Mihalevic |
Current Position: |
R.N. |
High School Students
2012 |
Leah (Fuhrman) Javitt |
Current Position: |
Masters of Applied Chemistry Student |
2013 |
Kyle Yoshida |
Current Position: |
PhD Stanford University |
2014,2016 |
Yael Istkowitz |
Current Position: |
Accountant |
2016 |
Brian Kang |
Current Position: |
Director at Make Ventures Princeton |
2016, 2017 |
Ashani Shah |
Current Position: |
M.B.A./M.D. Student Rutgers University |
2017 |
Zehra Medhi |
Current Position: |
N.A. |
2019 |
Charles Burton |
Current Position: |
University of Virgina |