Alan Bernstein, OC, FRSC is the inaugural executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise,[1] an alliance of independent organizations around the world dedicated to accelerating the development of a preventive HIV vaccine.
As Executive Director, Dr. Bernstein oversees the Enterprise Secretariat in implementing activities to support the goals and mission of the Enterprise, including the development of the 2010 Scientific Strategic Plan[2] for HIV vaccine development and facilitating and integrating the activities of the Enterprise partners to ensure their effective implementation of the Enterprise Scientific Strategic Plan.
Prior to leading the Enterprise, Dr. Bernstein served as the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) from 2000 – 2007. During that time, he led a transformation in how health research is organized and funded in Canada and increased Canada’s health research budget by 2.5 fold.
Dr. Bernstein received his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. Following postdoctoral work in London where he first began working on retroviruses, he returned to Canada in 1974 to join the faculty of the Ontario Cancer Institute. In 1985, he joined the new Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital as Head of the Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, and then served as its Director of Research from 1994 – 2000.
Dr. Bernstein’s research interests have centered around hematopoiesis, cancer and embryonic development. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. For his contributions to science and science in Canada, Dr. Bernstein has received the McLaughlin Medal[3] of the Royal Society of Canada, the Robert L. Noble Prize from the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Genetics Society of Canada Award of Excellence,[4] the 2001 Australian Society of Medical Research Medal, four honorary degrees, the 2007 Medaille du merite from the Institut de Recherche Clinique de Montreal, the 2008 Gairdner Wightman Award and the Order of Canada in 2002. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto.[5]