Current Lab Members
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)
Michael Mihalevic
Laboratory Technician
July 1, 2011 - current
B.S. University of Pittsburgh, 2011
Lab Publications:
Westmoreland J.W., Mihalevic M.J., Bernstein K.A., Resnick M.A. (2018) The global role for Cdc13 and Yku70 in preventing telomere resection across the genome, DNA Repair, In press.
Zacchi, L.F., Dittmar, J.C., Mihalevic, M.J., Shewan, A.M., Schulz, B.L., Brodsky, J.F., Bernstein, K.A. (2017) A novel high-throughput yeast genetic screen for factors modifying protein levels of the Early-Onset Torsion Dystonia-associate variant torsinA∆E, Disease Models and Mechanisms, In press.
Godin, S.K., Zhang, Z., Herken, B.W., Westmoreland, J.W., Lee, A.G., Mihalevic, M.J., Yu, Z., Sobol, R.W., Resnick, M.A., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The Shu complex promotes error-free tolerance of alkylation-induced base excision repair products, Nucleic Acids Research, 44(17): 8199-8215.
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
Böhm, S., Mihalevic, M.J., Casal, M.A., and Bernstein, K.A., (2015) Disruption of SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases Slx5-Slx8/RNF4 alters RecQ-like helicase Sgs1/BLM localization in yeast and human cells, DNA Repair, 26: 1-14.
Bernstein, K.A., Mimitou, E.P., Mihalevic, M.J., Chen, H., Sunjaveric, I., Symington, L.S., Rothstein R. (2013) Resection activity of the Sgs1 helicase alters the affinity of DNA ends for homologous recombination proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Genetics, 195(4): 1241-1251.
*Issue Highlight for the Genetics journal
Laboratory Technician
July 1, 2011 - current
B.S. University of Pittsburgh, 2011
Lab Publications:
Westmoreland J.W., Mihalevic M.J., Bernstein K.A., Resnick M.A. (2018) The global role for Cdc13 and Yku70 in preventing telomere resection across the genome, DNA Repair, In press.
Zacchi, L.F., Dittmar, J.C., Mihalevic, M.J., Shewan, A.M., Schulz, B.L., Brodsky, J.F., Bernstein, K.A. (2017) A novel high-throughput yeast genetic screen for factors modifying protein levels of the Early-Onset Torsion Dystonia-associate variant torsinA∆E, Disease Models and Mechanisms, In press.
Godin, S.K., Zhang, Z., Herken, B.W., Westmoreland, J.W., Lee, A.G., Mihalevic, M.J., Yu, Z., Sobol, R.W., Resnick, M.A., Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The Shu complex promotes error-free tolerance of alkylation-induced base excision repair products, Nucleic Acids Research, 44(17): 8199-8215.
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
Böhm, S., Mihalevic, M.J., Casal, M.A., and Bernstein, K.A., (2015) Disruption of SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases Slx5-Slx8/RNF4 alters RecQ-like helicase Sgs1/BLM localization in yeast and human cells, DNA Repair, 26: 1-14.
Bernstein, K.A., Mimitou, E.P., Mihalevic, M.J., Chen, H., Sunjaveric, I., Symington, L.S., Rothstein R. (2013) Resection activity of the Sgs1 helicase alters the affinity of DNA ends for homologous recombination proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Genetics, 195(4): 1241-1251.
*Issue Highlight for the Genetics journal
Gregory Brunette
Laboratory Technician
August 15, 2016 - current
B.S. University of Pittsburgh, 2016
Lab Publications:
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, In press.
Laboratory Technician
August 15, 2016 - current
B.S. University of Pittsburgh, 2016
Lab Publications:
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, In press.
Meghan Sullivan
Graduate Student
July 1, 2014 - current
B.A. University of Rochester
Funding: National Institutes of Health Pre-doctoral Fellowship (F31ES027321)
Lab Publications:
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, In press.
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
Graduate Student
July 1, 2014 - current
B.A. University of Rochester
Funding: National Institutes of Health Pre-doctoral Fellowship (F31ES027321)
Lab Publications:
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, In press.
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
Braulio Bonilla
Graduate Student
June 1, 2016 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay, 2008
Funding: Fulbright Scholar
Graduate Student
June 1, 2016 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay, 2008
Funding: Fulbright Scholar
Thong Luong
Graduate Student
May 29, 2017 - current
B.S., University of Tennessee, 2011
Graduate Student
May 29, 2017 - current
B.S., University of Tennessee, 2011
Julieta Martino
Post-Doctorate Fellow
June 8, 2015 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, 2005
Ph.D. University of Maine, 2015 (Fulbright scholar, Advisor John Wise)
Lab Publications: Martino, J., and Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The Shu complex is a conserved regulator of homologous recombination, FEMS Yeast Research, In press.
Post-Doctorate Fellow
June 8, 2015 - current
Licentiate in Biology, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, 2005
Ph.D. University of Maine, 2015 (Fulbright scholar, Advisor John Wise)
Lab Publications: Martino, J., and Bernstein, K.A. (2016) The Shu complex is a conserved regulator of homologous recombination, FEMS Yeast Research, In press.
Robert Baldock
Post-doctorate Fellow
June 7, 2016 - current
B.Sc. (Hons) University of Sussex, UK, 2012
Ph.D. University of Sussex, 2016 (Advisor Felicity Watts)
Post-doctorate Fellow
June 7, 2016 - current
B.Sc. (Hons) University of Sussex, UK, 2012
Ph.D. University of Sussex, 2016 (Advisor Felicity Watts)
Anton Khodakov
Medical Student Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2018
April 16, 2015 - current
B.A. Harvard University, 2014
Funding: Dean's Summer Research Program
Medical Student Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2018
April 16, 2015 - current
B.A. Harvard University, 2014
Funding: Dean's Summer Research Program
Catherine Pressimone
Undergraduate Researcher
September 7, 2015 - current
Funding: 2016 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Undergraduate Researcher
September 7, 2015 - current
Funding: 2016 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Former Lab Members
Ph.D. Students
Stephen Godin
Graduate Student
April 1, 2012 - December 31, 2015
B.S., B.S. University of Massachusetts- Amherst, 2011
Graduate Student
April 1, 2012 - December 31, 2015
B.S., B.S. University of Massachusetts- Amherst, 2011
Post-doctorate
Stefanie Böhm
Post-Doctorate Fellow
July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2015
Dipl. Goethe-University of Frankfurt, 2006
Ph.D. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 2011 (Advisor Alex Buchberger)
Post-Doctorate Fellow
July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2015
Dipl. Goethe-University of Frankfurt, 2006
Ph.D. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 2011 (Advisor Alex Buchberger)
Cheryl Clauson
Post-Doctorate Fellow
July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013
B.A. Illinois Wesleyan, 2003
Ph.D. Emory University, 2010 (Advisor Paul Doetsch)
Post-Doctorate Fellow
July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013
B.A. Illinois Wesleyan, 2003
Ph.D. Emory University, 2010 (Advisor Paul Doetsch)
Medical Students
Yoav Karpenshif
Medical Student Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2015
Spring and Summer 2012, June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013, November 25, 2014 - January 30, 2015
B.A. Emory University, 2011
Funding: Dean's Summer Research Program
Medical Student Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2015
Spring and Summer 2012, June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013, November 25, 2014 - January 30, 2015
B.A. Emory University, 2011
Funding: Dean's Summer Research Program
Zhuying (Rebecca) Zhang
Tsinghua Scholar
October 21, 2013 - August 1, 2015
Tsinghua Scholar
October 21, 2013 - August 1, 2015
Undergraduate students
Gannon Rooney
Undergraduate Researcher
February 8, 2016 - April 22, 2016
Undergraduate Researcher
February 8, 2016 - April 22, 2016
Jared Baird
Undergraduate Researcher, Washington and Jefferson University, Class of 2015
June 16, 2014 - December 4, 2014, May 18, 2015 - July 10, 2015
Funding: Merck Internship for Excellence in Science
Undergraduate Researcher, Washington and Jefferson University, Class of 2015
June 16, 2014 - December 4, 2014, May 18, 2015 - July 10, 2015
Funding: Merck Internship for Excellence in Science
Faiz Kabbinavar
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2015
October 17 2011 - August 8, 2013, August 27, 2014 - April 17, 2015
Funding: Arts and Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Award 2013
Brackenridge Summer Research Fellowship 2013 (declined)
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2015
October 17 2011 - August 8, 2013, August 27, 2014 - April 17, 2015
Funding: Arts and Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Award 2013
Brackenridge Summer Research Fellowship 2013 (declined)
Alison Lee
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh Class of 2015
January 7, 2013 - April 15, 2013, January 15, 2014 - December 5, 2014
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh Class of 2015
January 7, 2013 - April 15, 2013, January 15, 2014 - December 5, 2014
Morgan Casal
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh
September 5, 2013 - December 1, 2014
Funding: Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship Fall 2014
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Pittsburgh
September 5, 2013 - December 1, 2014
Funding: Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship Fall 2014
Shahm Raslan
Undergraduate Student Aid, University of Pittsburgh
October 17, 2013 - June 13, 2014
Undergraduate Student Aid, University of Pittsburgh
October 17, 2013 - June 13, 2014
Dominique Bratton-Palmer
Undergraduate Researcher from Columbia University, Class of 2014
July 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011
June 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012
June 1, 2013 - August 31, 2013
Funding: 2012 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
2013 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Undergraduate Researcher from Columbia University, Class of 2014
July 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011
June 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012
June 1, 2013 - August 31, 2013
Funding: 2012 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
2013 Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Christina Hornack
Undergraduate Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2013
September 6, 2011 - June 30, 2013
Funding: Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Undergraduate Researcher University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2013
September 6, 2011 - June 30, 2013
Funding: Diversity Supplement from the National Institutes of Health
Robert Caro
Undergraduate Student Aid, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2013
September 12, 2012 - April, 2013
Now: Dental Student at Temple University
Undergraduate Student Aid, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2013
September 12, 2012 - April, 2013
Now: Dental Student at Temple University
Cynthia Thomas
Undergraduate Student Aid
January 17, 2012 - April 20, 2012
Undergraduate Student Aid
January 17, 2012 - April 20, 2012
High School
Kyle Yoshida
High School Student, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, Honolulu, Class of 2014
June 19, 2013 - August 8, 2013
High School Student, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, Honolulu, Class of 2014
June 19, 2013 - August 8, 2013
Technician
Benjamin Herken
Laboratory Technician
August 1, 2015 - July 31, 2017
B.A. Lewis and Clark College, 2015
Laboratory Technician
August 1, 2015 - July 31, 2017
B.A. Lewis and Clark College, 2015