Paul Bernstein, MD, PhD

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD joined the faculty of the Moran Eye Center of the University of Utah in 1995 where he currently divides his time equally between clinical and basic science retina research and a clinical practice devoted to medical and surgical treatment of disease of the retina and vitreous with special emphasis on macular and retinal degenerations. He was promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in 2007 and awarded an endowed professorship in 2008. Dr. Bernstein did his undergraduate, MD and PhD training at Harvard University, his ophthalmology residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute of UCLA, and his vitreoretinal fellowship at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Bernstein’s current research interests are focused on the biochemistry and biophysics of nutritional interventions against inherited and acquired ocular disorders. His laboratory is a leader in the study of the proteins involved in the uptake, stabilization, and metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human macula. Dr. Bernstein has authored over one hundred fifty peer-reviewed research articles and reviews as well four patents, and he has served as a reviewer for numerous journals, foundations, and institutes. In 2016, he was awarded the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Outstanding Humanitarian Award for his work training aspiring retina specialists in Nepal, Bhutan, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Dr. Bernstein was a principal investigator for the AREDS2 study, and he currently serves as the Director of Clinical Research at the Moran Eye Center and was vice-president of ARVO from 2016-2017.