Canadian Bernstein is recognized as a leader in health research, science policy, mentorship and organizational leadership.
[3] He pursued biomedical research and obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1972 under the supervision of James Till with a thesis focusing on a genetic analysis of membrane mutants Escherichia coli.
[11] It was during his leadership that the Government of Canada asked CIFAR to develop and lead the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
Bernstein continues to be an active member of many advisory and review boards in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Italy, and Australia, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,[14] the McGill University Health Centre[15] and the Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary.
[18][19] Bernstein's research interests have centered on blood cell formation (hematopoiesis), cancer and embryonic development.