Dr. Bernstein is Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network.
His main areas of interest are neuro-oncology, bioethics, palliative care, and advancing surgery in the developing world, where he spends time operating and teaching. He is a committed educator and has won numerous teaching awards. In 2003 he completed a Masters of Health Science in Bioethics. In 2011 he was awarded the Greg Wilkins-Barrick Chair in International Surgery.
Besides over 400 biomedical papers and chapters published, a book on brain tumours in its third edition, and a book on bioethics, he has published about 150 popular articles many of which attempt to bridge the gap between the medical profession and the public.