ד"ר ביאנה ברנשטיין

Dr. Biana Bernshtein is an Assistant Professor (senior lecturer) at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research since 2025. She obtained a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from Tel Aviv University and both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Life Sciences from the Weizmann Institute of Science. She did her postdoctoral work at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard 2020-2025

Ph.D. in Life Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel 2018

M.Sc. in Life Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel 2013

B.Sc. in Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel 2011

Our lab investigates how immune protection against bacterial and viral gut infections works. The global burden of these infections affects millions of individuals while antimicrobial-resistant strains continue to rise, making this research increasingly urgent. We focus on understanding how antibodies recruit and activate immune cells at mucosal surfaces where infections begin, moving beyond traditional views of antibody function. Our research combines high-throughput antibody profiling and Fc-engineering of therapeutic antibodies to identify protective mechanisms relevant to vulnerable populations. Our findings will guide the design of novel and effective vaccines and therapeutics.

• • Bernshtein B, Zhiteneva JA, Janardhanan J, Wagh C, Kelly M, Jung W, Chowdhury F, Khan AI, Charles RC, Xu P, Kováč P, Chakraborty S, Kaminski RW, Alter G, Bhuiyan TR, Qadri F, Ryan ET. Limited O-specific polysaccharide (OSP)-specific functional antibody responses in young children with Shigella infection in Bangladesh. In review and posted on BioRxiv, 2024
     
  • Bernshtein B, Kelly M, Cizmeci D, Zhiteneva JA, Macvicar R, Kamruzzaman M, Bhuiyan TR, Chowdhury F, Khan AI, Qadri F, Charles RC, Xu P, Kováč P, Clarkson KA, Kaminski RW, Alter G, Ryan ET. Determinants of immune responses predictive of protection against shigellosis in an endemic zone: A systems analysis of antibody profiles and function. Lancet Microbe, 2024
     
  • Bernshtein B*, Ndungo E*, Cizmeci D, Xu P, Kováč P, Kelly M, Islam D, Ryan ET, Kotloff KL, Pasetti MF, Alter G. Systems approach to define humoral correlates of immunity to Shigella. *These authors contributed equally. Cell Reports, 2022