Bernhard is an academic anaesthesiologist and the Director of the Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine, and Pain Medicine at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He holds a Professorial appointment at the University of Melbourne. Prior appointments include Professor and Deputy Chair, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre (USA); Professor of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University (USA); Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust (UK).

His research is focused on enhanced preoperative risk stratification and optimization of modifiable risk (prehabilitation) to reduce the ‘hidden pandemic’ of complications and death after major surgery. Specific to cancer surgery, he is a thought leader in a global collaborative on oncoanaesthesia. In this regard, his research explores the interaction of perioperative adrenergic-inflammatory response and anaesthetic technique on cancer progression.

His research program has resulted in 75 research grants (>$16M), >200 peer-reviewed scientific publications (including Lancet, New England Journal Medicine, JAMA, Cancer Research, Nature Reviews, British Journal Anaesthesia – h-index 40, i10index 80, and cited >6,200 times). In addition, he has edited three books, including ‘Acute Care of the Cancer Patient’ and has delivered >200 lectures at national/international conferences. Effective mentorship has resulted in 37 awards to team members for clinical service, quality improvement, and research.