Bio
Kara Bernstein received her Ph.D. in 2006 from Yale University studying cell cycle regulation of ribosome biogenesis with National Academy of Medicine member Dr. Susan Baserga. She subsequently did her post-doctorate research in National Academy of Science member Dr. Rodney Rothstein's laboratory at Columbia University where she studied DNA double-strand break repair. She currently uses the yeast S. cerevisiae and human cell lines to understand the molecular mechanism of DNA double-strand break repair and tumorigenesis.
Education and Employment: |
Year |
B.A. Bryn Mawr College, Magna Cum Laude |
1996 - 2000 |
Ph.D. Yale University (with Dr. Susan Baserga) |
2000 - 2006 |
Post-doctorate Research Scientist (with Dr. Rodney Rothstein) Columbia University Department of Genetics and Development |
2006 - 2009 |
Associate Research Scientist Columbia University Department of Genetics and Development |
2009 - 2011 |
Assistant Professor University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics |
2011-2017 |
Associate Professor (with tenure) University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics |
2017 - 2020 |
Associate Professor (secondary appointment) University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health Department of Environment and Occupational Health |
2019 - 2022 |
Associate Professor (primary appointment) University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology |
2020 - 2022 |
Associate Professor (secondary appointment) University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics |
2020 - 2022 |
Professor University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics |
2022 - current |
Present Funding |
Year |
R01-ES030335 Replication fork dynamics and repair by Rad51 paralogues after DNA alkylation Role: PI Direct costs: $1,125,000 |
9/1/19 - 5/31/24 |
R01-ES031796 RAD51 paralog function in cancer predisposition and genome integrity Role: PI Direct costs: $1,425,380 |
4/1/21 - 3/31/26 |
BC201356 Molecular targeting of homologous recombination-deficient breast cancer Role: PI Direct costs: $1,000,000 |
7/1/21 - 6/30/24 |
PA Breast Cancer Coalition RAD51C function in breast cancer Role: PI Direct costs: $100,000 |
1/1/24 - 12/31/24 |
R01-CA269784 Regulation of APOBEC3 cytidine deaminase-induced mutation during cancer development Role: Co-I Direct costs: $241,635 |
1/1/22 - 10/31/27 |
Past Funding |
Year |
F31 GM67564 Pre-doctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health Cell cycle regulation of the SSU processome Role: PI Direct costs: $136,304 |
9/16/02 - 5/31/06 |
F32 GM078840 Post-doctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health Role of Sgs1, yeast Werner/Bloom homolog, in DNA repair Role: PI Direct costs: $89,972 |
12/1/06 - 7/30/09 |
K99/R00 GM088413 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health Mechanistic insights into the Shu complex and Sgs1 in DNA repair and replication Role: PI Direct costs: K99 $166,666 and R00 $527,063 |
8/1/09 - 6/30/15 |
The Ellison Foundation New Scholar in Aging Award Using live cell imaging to uncover how misrepair of double-strand breaks contributes to aging Role: PI Direct costs: $368,000 |
7/1/12 - 6/30/16 |
V Scholar Award Uncovering how mutations in the RAD51 paralogues contribute to cancer predisposition and response to therapy Role: PI Direct costs: $200,000 |
10/1/14 - 9/30/16 |
Stand Up to Cancer Innovation Grant Uncovering how RAD51 paralog mutations contribute to cancer predisposition Role: PI Direct costs: $681,818 |
10/1/16 - 3/30/20 |
American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award Role of the Shu complex mediated protein interactions in genome maintenance Role: PI Direct costs: $660,000 |
7/1/16 - 6/30/20 |
R01-CA218112 Mechanisms of genome instability induced by APOBEC cytidine deaminases and their impact during cancer development Role: co-I (Roberts) Direct costs: $80,000 |
9/30/18-9/29/20 |
R01-ES030335-02S1 Replication fork dynamics and repair by Rad51 paralogues after DNA alkylation Role: PI Direct costs: $150,849 |
3/8/21 - 4/1/22 |
Awards/Honors |
Year |
K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from NIGMS |
2009 |
PNC, UPCI Director Distinguished Scholar Award for New Investigators |
2011 |
New Scholar in Aging Award from the Ellison Foundation |
2012 |
Paper Honor: Bernstein, K.A. (2013) Genetics, 195(4):1241-1352. Issue highlight |
2013 |
Paper Honor: Karpenshif, Y., and Bernstein, K.A. (2012) DNA Repair 11(10):781-788. Top 5 most downloaded DNA Repair articles |
2013 |
V Foundation Award from The V Foundation for Cancer Research |
2014 |
Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award from NIEHS |
2015 |
Paper Honor: Godin et al (2015) Genetics, 199(4): 1023-1033. *Featured on the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) website as their top news story *Issue highlight |
2015 |
UPCI Junior Scholar Award |
2015 |
Paper Honor: Gaines*, Godin* et al (2015) Nature Communications, 28(6): 7834. *Interviewed for Pittsburgh's National Public Radio Affiliate WESA *Featured on Futurity *GEN News Highlights |
2015 |
Co-Chair of DNA Damage and Repair: Atom to Animal Session of the Environmental Mutagenesis Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana |
2015 |
American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award |
2016 |
Stand Up to Cancer Innovative Research Grant Award |
2016 |
Panelist for American Association for Cancer Research-sponsored Congressional Briefing, Washington, DC |
2016 |
Paper Honor: McClendon, T.B., Sullivan, M.R., Bernstein, K.A.* and Yanowitz, J.L.* (2016) Genetics, 203(1): 133-145. *Co-corresponding *Featured as a Genetics Primer [Turcotte et al CRISPR Technology Reveals RAD(51)- ical Mechanisms of Repair in Roundworms (2016) Genetics 204: 883-891] |
2016 |
Chancellors Distinguished Research Honors Award |
2017 |
Paper Honor: Kondrashova, O., et al (2017) Cancer Discovery 7(9): 984-998, *Featured on Cover |
2017 |
Faculty/Staff Spotlight Award from Chancellor Gallagher |
2017 |
Featured in a story on "Meet Three Women Breaking New Ground in Research" in the Media Planet supplement to USA TODAY on Education and Career News |
2017 |
Emerging Female Scientist Award from the Carnegie Science Center *Featured on NPC WPXI "Our Region's Business" |
2018 |
"Trailblazer" Honoree at the Ladies Hospital Aid Society Annual Gala |
2018 |
Hillman Career Acceleration Fellow for Innovative Cancer Research |
2021 |
Talks |
Year |
Ribosome Synthesis Meeting, Arlington, VA |
2006 |
Rockefeller University Yeast Club, NY, NY |
2008 |
New York Academy of Sciences Genome Integrity Meeting, NY, NY |
2009 |
Panelist for NIH Career Development Workshop, Columbia University, NY, NY |
2010 |
University of Pittsburgh, Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA |
2010 |
Cleveland Clinic, Cancer Biology, Cleveland, OH |
2010 |
Yale University, Therapeutic Radiology, New Haven, CT |
2010 |
International Yeast Meeting, Vancouver, Canada |
2010 |
Brooklyn College, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, NY |
2010 |
Responses to DNA damage: from molecular mechanisms to human disease conference, Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands |
2011 |
Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Series "12@12" University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
2012 |
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
2012 |
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
2013 |
DNA repair research interest group, NIEHS |
2013 |
Yale University, Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics, New Haven, CT |
2014 |
Panelist for Teaching and Academic Research Panel, Yale University, New Haven, CT |
2014 |
National Institute for Medical Research, London, England |
2014 |
DNA Replication as a Source of DNA Damage Conference, El Jadida, Morroco |
2014 |
University of Texas at Austin, Molecular Biosciences, Austin, TX |
2015 |
Northwestern School of Medicine, Pathology, Chicago, IL |
2015 |
FASEB Genetic Recombination & Genome Rearrangements Conference, Steamboat, CO |
2015 |
Zing Genomic Integrity Conference, Cairns, Australia |
2015 |
Columbia University 30th Genetics Department Retreat, NY, NY |
2015 |
Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomic Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA |
2015 |
Wright State University, Dayton, OH |
2015 |
Dynamic DNA and RNA Structures in Damage Responses and Cancer Conference, Cancun, Mexico |
2016 |
Panelist for American Association for Cancer Research-sponsored Congressional Briefing at the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, Washington, DC |
2016 |
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meeting, San Diego, CA |
2016 |
Mechanisms of Recombination Meeting, Alicante, Spain |
2016 |
Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
2016 |
European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands |
2016 |
The Allied Genetics Conference (TCGA), Orlando FL |
2016 |
Keystone Symposia on DNA Replication and Recombination, Santa Fe NM |
2017 |
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelpha, PA |
2017 |
Fusion 2nd DNA Replication as a Source of DNA Damage Conference, Rome, Italy |
2017 |
IFOM- Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy |
2017 |
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI |
2017 |
Panelist for Mock Study Section at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, Philadelpha, PA |
2017 |
Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, PA |
2018 |
Gordon Research Conference on DNA Damage, Mutation and Cancer, Ventura, CA |
2018 |
Stevenson University, Pikesville, MD |
2018 |
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO |
2018 |
Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Awardee Symposium, Research Triangle Park, NC |
2018 |
University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada |
2018 |
Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium, Seattle WA |
2018 |
Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair, Ventura, CA |
2019 |
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel |
2019 |
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA |
2019 |
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY |
2019 |
EMBO Conference on the DNA Damage Response in Physiology and Disease, Sounio, Greece |
2019 |
Fusion 4th DNA Repair/Replication Structures and Cancer Conference, Nassau, Bahamas |
2020 |
Columbia University, New York, NY |
2020 |
Abcam Mechanisms of Recombination Meeting, Cambridge, England |
2020 |
EMBO EMBL HHMI Gender Roles and Their Impact in Academia Conference, Virtual |
2020 |
Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society Annual Meeting |
2021 |
Cold Spring Harbor-Asia Conference on DNA Metabolism, Genomic Stability and Human Disease |
2021 |
Gordon Research Conference, DNA Damage, Mutation and Cancer |
2022 |
University of Michigan Human Genetics Post-Doctorate Symposium (Keynote), Ann Arbor, MI |
2022 |
Basser Center Annual Symposium, Philadelphia, PA |
2022 |
FASEB Genetic Recombination and Genome Rearrangements Conference, Steamboat Springs, CO |
2022 |
7th US-EU Conference on Repair of Endogenous DNA Damage, Stony Brook, NY |
2022 |
Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA |
2022 |
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE |
2022 |
University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX |
2022 |
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA |
2022 |
Francois Jacob Institute of Biology, Paris, France |
2023 |
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY |
2023 |
NY Genome Integrity Discussion Group, New York, NY |
2023 |
Fusion Recombination Mechanisms Conference, Torres Vedras, Portugal |
2023 |
Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL |
2023 |
Fusion 4th DNA Repair/Replication Structures and Cancer Conference, Cancun, Mexico |
2024 |
Gordon Research Conference DNA Damage, Mutation and Cancer, Ventura, CA |
2024 |
Medical Center of South Carolina, Charleston, SC |
2024 |
UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (2024 UNC Marc J. Mass Memorial Lecture) |
2024 |