Paul Bernstein
Professor of Ophthalmology/Visual Sciences, Adjunct Professor Neurobiology, and Adjunt Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Retina, Nutrition, Imaging, Carotenoids, VLC-PUFAs, Inherited and Acquired Retinal Diseases
Molecular Biology Program
Biological Chemistry Program
Education
A.B. Harvard University
M.D. Harvard Medical School/MIT - Division of Health
Ph.D. Harvard University
Research
The Bernstein Laboratory focuses on the nutritional biochemistry of the human retina with particular emphasis on the roles of carotenoids and very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids throughout the lifespan in the prevention of blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity, and various inherited retinal diseases. Our work includes basic science studies of protein and lipid structure and function, translational studies of advanced imaging with resonance Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging, and randomized clinical trials.
References (Selected Publications)
- Addo EK, Gorka JE, Allman SJ, Harrison DY, Sharifzadeh M, Hoffman RO, Hartnett ME, Varner MW, Bernstein PS. Ocular Effects of Prenatal Carotenoid Supplementation in the Mother and Her Child: The Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Pregnancy (L-ZIP) Randomized Trial - Report Number 2. Ophthalmol Sci. 2024 Apr 24;4(5):100537. doi: 10.1016/j.xops.2024.100537. PMID: 39071916; PMCID: PMC11283155.
- Nwagbo U, Parvez S, Maschek JA, Bernstein PS. Elovl4b knockout zebrafish as a model for ocular very-long-chain PUFA deficiency. J Lipid Res. 2024 Mar;65(3):100518. doi: 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100518. Epub 2024 Feb 10. PMID: 38342437; PMCID: PMC10940177.
- Arunkumar R, Li B, Addo EK, Hartnett ME, Bernstein PS. Prenatal Carotenoid Supplementation With Lutein or Zeaxanthin Ameliorates Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy (OIR) in Bco2-/- Macular Pigment Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 Apr 3;64(4):9. doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.4.9. PMID: 37036416; PMCID: PMC10108734.
- Arunkumar R, Gorusupudi A, Li B, Blount JD, Nwagbo U, Kim HJ, Sparrow JR, Bernstein PS. Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce A2E and iso-A2E levels and improve visual performance in Abca4-/-/Bco2-/- double knockout mice. Exp Eye Res. 2021 Aug;209:108680. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108680. Epub 2021 Jun 20. PMID: 34161819; PMCID: PMC8595537.
- Li B, George EW, Rognon GT, Gorusupudi A, Ranganathan A, Chang FY, Shi L, Frederick JM, Bernstein PS. Imaging lutein and zeaxanthin in the human retina with confocal resonance Raman microscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Jun 2;117(22):12352-12358. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1922793117. Epub 2020 May 14. PMID: 32409609; PMCID: PMC7275724.
- Gantner ML, Eade K, Wallace M, Handzlik MK, Fallon R, Trombley J, Bonelli R, Giles S, Harkins-Perry S, Heeren TFC, Sauer L, Ideguchi Y, Baldini M, Scheppke L, Dorrell MI, Kitano M, Hart BJ, Cai C, Nagasaki T, Badur MG, Okada M, Woods SM, Egan C, Gillies M, Guymer R, Eichler F, Bahlo M, Fruttiger M, Allikmets R, Bernstein PS, Metallo CM, Friedlander M. Serine and Lipid Metabolism in Macular Disease and Peripheral Neuropathy. N Engl J Med. 2019 Oct 10;381(15):1422-1433. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1815111. Epub 2019 Sep 11. PMID: 31509666; PMCID: PMC7685488.