Biography
Mallory Bernstein, MSc, is a Specialist in Hematology/Oncology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI Health), where she manages laboratory operations and coordinates multi-site collaborative research projects with institutions including USC, DKFZ, and Cornell. She received her Master of Science with Award of Distinction in African Studies with Health from University College London in 2017 and her Bachelor of Science Magna Cum Laude with Departmental Honours in Chemistry from Muhlenberg College in 2014. Bernstein has over seven years of experience in quantitative research, biostatistics, and data science in clinical research settings, with particular focus on infectious diseases and oncology.
Bernstein's research has centered on SARS-CoV-2 evolution and immune responses, HIV-tuberculosis co-infection, and hematologic malignancies. During her six years at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa, she served as Laboratory Data Supervisor and Laboratory Technologist, where she built and coordinated REDCap databases for large longitudinal cohort studies examining SARS-CoV-2 evolution and vaccine efficacy. She conducted complex statistical analyses using R, Stata, and MATLAB, including generalized estimating equations, Cox proportional hazards modeling, and logistic regression. Her work on SARS-CoV-2 variant neutralization and the intersection of HIV and COVID-19 disease severity has contributed to understanding viral evolution in immunocompromised populations.
Bernstein has authored or co-authored 18 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Nature, Cell Host & Microbe, Blood Advances, and Nature Communications. Her publications have examined SARS-CoV-2 variant escape from neutralizing antibodies, the impact of HIV status on COVID-19 disease severity, and immune responses to vaccination in people living with HIV. At UCI Health, she develops IRB protocols, manages laboratory procurement, supervises undergraduate and graduate students, works on method validation for MGUS detection using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and is involved in MGUS association studies with infectious diseases. She completed the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence Biostatistics course in 2022 and was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Africa in 2015.
Return to topEducation
- MSc in African Studies with Health, University College London, 2017
- BSc in Chemistry, Muhlenberg College, 2014
Distinctions
- Fulbright Fellow, English Teaching Assistant in the Republic of South Africa, 2015
- Award of Distinction, MSc in African Studies with Health, University College London, 2017
- Magnum Cum Laude with Departmental Honours, Muhlenberg College, 2014
Areas of Expertise
- Clinical Hematology and Oncology
- SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Assays
- HIV Comorbidity Patterns
- Monoclonal Gammopathy Biomarkers
- Viral Evolution Immune Escape
- Tuberculosis Macrophage Interactions
- Longitudinal Cohort Data Analytics
- MGUS
Recent Publications
- Karim F, Riou C, Bernstein M, Jule Z, Lustig G, van Graan S, Keeton RS, Upton JL, Ganga Y, Khan K, Reedoy K, Mazibuko M, Govender K, Thambu K, Ngcobo N, Venter E, Makhado Z, Hanekom W, von Gottberg A, Hoque M, et al., “Clearance of persistent SARS-CoV-2 associates with increased neutralizing antibodies in advanced HIV disease post-ART initiation” (opens in new tab), Nat Commun, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 2360, 2024.
- Riou C, Bhiman JN, Ganga Y, Sawry S, Ayres F, Baguma R, Balla SR, Benede N, Bernstein M, Besethi AS, Cele S, Crowther C, Dhar M, Geyer S, Gill K, Grifoni A, Hermanus T, Kaldine H, Keeton RS, Kgagudi P, et al., “Safety and immunogenicity of booster vaccination and fractional dosing with Ad26.COV2.S or BNT162b2 in Ad26.COV2.S-vaccinated participants” (opens in new tab), PLOS Glob Public Health, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. e0002703, 2024.
- Hwa SH, Snyman J, Bernstein M, Ganga Y, Cele S, Muema D, Tan CW, Khan K, Karim F, Hanekom W, Bernstein L, Kaufmann SHE, Wang LF, Ndung'u T, Sigal A, “Association Between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viremia and Compromised Neutralization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Beta Variant” (opens in new tab), J Infect Dis, vol. 227, no. 2, pp. 211-220, 2023.
- Naicker N, Rodel H, Perumal R, Ganga Y, Bernstein M, Benede N, Abdool Karim S, Padayacthi N, Sigal A, Naidoo K, “Metformin Increases Cell Viability and Regulates Pro-Inflammatory Response to Mtb” (opens in new tab), Infect Drug Resist, vol. 16, pp. 3629-3638, 2023.
- Khan K, Lustig G, Römer C, Reedoy K, Jule Z, Karim F, Ganga Y, Bernstein M, Baig Z, Jackson L, Mahlangu B, Mnguni A, Nzimande A, Stock N, Kekana D, Ntozini B, van Deventer C, Marshall T, Manickchund N, Gosnell BI, et al., “Evolution and neutralization escape of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 subvariant” (opens in new tab), Nat Commun, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 8078, 2023.
- Lustig G, Ganga Y, Rodel HE, Tegally H, Khairallah A, Jackson L, Cele S, Khan K, Jule Z, Reedoy K, Karim F, Bernstein M, Ndung'u T, Moosa MS, Archary D, de Oliveira T, Lessells R, Neher RA, Abdool Karim SS, Sigal A, “SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunosuppression evolves sub-lineages which independently accumulate neutralization escape mutations” (opens in new tab), Virus Evol, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. vead075, 2023.
- Cele S, Jackson L, Khoury DS, Khan K, Moyo-Gwete T, Tegally H, San JE, Cromer D, Scheepers C, Amoako DG, Karim F, Bernstein M, Lustig G, Archary D, Smith M, Ganga Y, Jule Z, Reedoy K, Hwa SH, Giandhari J, et al., “Omicron extensively but incompletely escapes Pfizer BNT162b2 neutralization” (opens in new tab), Nature, vol. 602, no. 7898, pp. 654-656, 2022.
- Cele S, Karim F, Lustig G, San JE, Hermanus T, Tegally H, Snyman J, Moyo-Gwete T, Wilkinson E, Bernstein M, Khan K, Hwa SH, Tilles SW, Singh L, Giandhari J, Mthabela N, Mazibuko M, Ganga Y, Gosnell BI, Karim SSA, et al., “SARS-CoV-2 prolonged infection during advanced HIV disease evolves extensive immune escape” (opens in new tab), Cell Host Microbe, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 154-162.e5, 2022.
- Keeton R, Tincho MB, Ngomti A, Baguma R, Benede N, Suzuki A, Khan K, Cele S, Bernstein M, Karim F, Madzorera SV, Moyo-Gwete T, Mennen M, Skelem S, Adriaanse M, Mutithu D, Aremu O, Stek C, du Bruyn E, Van Der Mescht MA, et al., “T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike cross-recognize Omicron” (opens in new tab), Nature, vol. 603, no. 7901, pp. 488-492, 2022.
- Khan K, Karim F, Cele S, Reedoy K, San JE, Lustig G, Tegally H, Rosenberg Y, Bernstein M, Jule Z, Ganga Y, Ngcobo N, Mazibuko M, Mthabela N, Mhlane Z, Mbatha N, Miya Y, Giandhari J, Ramphal Y, Naidoo T, et al., “Omicron infection enhances Delta antibody immunity in vaccinated persons” (opens in new tab), Nature, vol. 607, no. 7918, pp. 356-359, 2022.
- Khan K, Karim F, Ganga Y, Bernstein M, Jule Z, Reedoy K, Cele S, Lustig G, Amoako D, Wolter N, Samsunder N, Sivro A, San JE, Giandhari J, Tegally H, Pillay S, Naidoo Y, Mazibuko M, Miya Y, Ngcobo N, et al., “Omicron BA.4/BA.5 escape neutralizing immunity elicited by BA.1 infection” (opens in new tab), Nat Commun, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 4686, 2022.
- Khan K, Lustig G, Bernstein M, Archary D, Cele S, Karim F, Smith M, Ganga Y, Jule Z, Reedoy K, Miya Y, Mthabela N, Magula NP, Lessells R, de Oliveira T, Gosnell BI, Abdool Karim S, Garrett N, Hanekom W, Bekker LG, et al., “Immunogenicity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection and Ad26.CoV2.S Vaccination in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)” (opens in new tab), Clin Infect Dis, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. e857-e864, 2022.
- Krause R, Snyman J, Shi-Hsia H, Muema D, Karim F, Ganga Y, Ngoepe A, Zungu Y, Gazy I, Bernstein M, Khan K, Mazibuko M, Mthabela N, Ramjit D, Limbo O, Jardine J, Sok D, Wilson IA, Hanekom W, Sigal A, et al., “HIV skews the SARS-CoV-2 B cell response towards an extrafollicular maturation pathway” (opens in new tab), Elife, vol. 11, pp. e79924, 2022.
- Cele S, Gazy I, Jackson L, Hwa SH, Tegally H, Lustig G, Giandhari J, Pillay S, Wilkinson E, Naidoo Y, Karim F, Ganga Y, Khan K, Bernstein M, Balazs AB, Gosnell BI, Hanekom W, Moosa MS, Lessells RJ, de Oliveira T, et al., “Escape of SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 from neutralization by convalescent plasma” (opens in new tab), Nature, vol. 593, no. 7857, pp. 142-146, 2021.
- Karim F, Gazy I, Cele S, Zungu Y, Krause R, Bernstein M, Khan K, Ganga Y, Rodel H, Mthabela N, Mazibuko M, Muema D, Ramjit D, Ndung'u T, Hanekom W, Gosnell B, Lessells RJ, Wong EB, de Oliveira T, Moosa MS, et al., “HIV status alters disease severity and immune cell responses in Beta variant SARS-CoV-2 infection wave” (opens in new tab), Elife, vol. 10, pp. e67397, 2021.
- Rodel HE, Ferreira IATM, Ziegler CGK, Ganga Y, Bernstein M, Hwa SH, Nargan K, Lustig G, Kaplan G, Noursadeghi M, Shalek AK, Steyn AJC, Sigal A, “Aggregated Mycobacterium tuberculosis Enhances the Inflammatory Response” (opens in new tab), Front Microbiol, vol. 12, pp. 757134, 2021.
Contact Information
Website: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XD3h3JUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Email: mpbernst@hs.uci.edu
Return to topThis profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 6/25/2026.