Irwin Bernstein

Dr. Irwin Bernstein is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a Professor in the Translational Science and Therapeutics Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where he is also a Member of the Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center. With over 40 years of leadership in the Pediatric Oncology Program at Fred Hutch and the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UW, he pioneered the development of the FDA-approved antibody-drug conjugate Mylotarg for acute myeloid leukemia based on his fundamental research in blood cell biology.

Education

• MD (Medicine): New York University; 1967
• BS (Biology): Trinity College; 1963
• Intern and Resident (Pediatrics): Children's Hospital of Los Angeles; 1967-1969
• Research Associate: Biology Branch, National Cancer Institute; 1969-1971
• Clinical Fellow (Pediatric Hem-Onc): Children's Hospital and Medical Center; University of Washington; 1971-1973
• Fellow: New York Cancer Research Institute; 1972-1974
• Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Department of Pathology, University of Washington; 2002-2004

Dr. Bernstein's research centers on developmental hematopoiesis and therapeutic translation, with seminal contributions to understanding stem cell self-renewal through the Notch signaling pathway and identifying maturation-linked antigens like CD33 for targeted leukemia therapy. His laboratory demonstrated that Notch ligand-induced expansion of cord blood stem cells significantly enhances repopulating capacity, leading to clinical trials for improved transplantation outcomes. Current work focuses on optimizing engineered stem cell therapies to reduce transplant-related mortality in hematologic malignancies.

Scientific Awards

• American Cancer Society Professor
• John R. Hartmann Endowed Chair in Pediatric Oncology/Hematology at Seattle Children’s

As principal investigator of the Children's Oncology Group AML reference laboratory and the Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium, Dr. Bernstein directs federally funded research training programs for early-career scientists at Fred Hutch. His laboratory has secured continuous grant support for translational studies in hematopoietic stem cell biology and leukemia therapeutics, including investigations into multi-drug resistance mechanisms and clonal evolution in AML.

The Bernstein Lab collaborates extensively with the Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center and has spun off Nohla Therapeutics to develop universal-donor cell therapies based on their Notch pathway discoveries. Current clinical trials led by his team evaluate whether Notch-expanded cord blood precursors decrease morbidity during neutropenic periods in transplantation and intensive chemotherapy for AML, with potential implications for overall survival improvement.