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Bio

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Kara Bernstein received her Ph.D. in 2006 from Yale University studying cell cycle regulation of ribosome biogenesis with 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
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)
2022
Basser Center Annual Symposium
2022
FASEB Genetic Recombination and Genome Rearrangements Conference
2022

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