Charles Bernstein, a gastroenterologist and professor of internal medicine at the U of M, has spent decades studying how the gut influences disease. His current work highlights the connections between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the gut microbiome and mental health.
Bernstein directs two of the province’s largest IBD research resources — the IBD Epidemiology Database and the IBD Research Registry. The database compiles population-based data on prevalence, outcomes and related conditions across Manitoba, while the registry includes nearly half of all Manitobans diagnosed with IBD. Together, these tools allow his team to follow patients over time, connect medical records to survey data and build long-term cohort studies.
His research spans “epidemiological work using administrative health databases, clinical outcomes and comorbidities of persons with [IBD].” Bernstein added, “We do translational research exploring the neuroimmunology and gut microbiome in persons with [IBD].” A major focus of his research is the brain-gut axis, which examines psychiatric conditions that often occur alongside IBD and other chronic immune disorders. By combining administrative health records with population-based data, Bernstein aims to better understand how mental and physical health interact in IBD.
Bernstein began focusing on the gut in the late 1980s. His studies have contributed new knowledge on how IBD develops and how it can be managed. This includes research into the gut microbiome (the microorganisms that live in the digestive tract) and how they shape disease outcomes.
Bernstein’s team is exploring microbiome changes linked to mental illness and sleep, as well as brain imaging in IBD.
“We are studying functional and structural MRI [results] in relation to disease diagnosis, including the presence or absence of mental health [issues],” Bernstein said. “We have just begun work on sleep and circadian rhythms in persons with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.”
Bernstein recently co-authored an international study on disparities in IBD care. “It was not surprising, but fascinating, to see where the disparities are in care. [That is] less availability of advanced endoscopy equipment and advanced drugs in lower income countries,” he noted.
At a recent gastroenterology meeting in San Diego, Bernstein and colleagues presented findings showing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis present in strikingly similar ways worldwide, regardless of differences in health care spending.
“The rapid rise of inflammatory bowel disease worldwide fascinates me and leads me to believe exploring IBD around the world will help us discover the causes of [chronic immune] diseases,” he said. “We should be able to harness the similarities in diseases clinically and the different [biology] of the people worldwide presenting with the diseases to solve what causes them.”
Looking ahead, Bernstein’s ultimate goal is to advance the “understanding of the cause and management of [IBD]” to improve care for people living with IBD, particularly when it comes to mental health comorbidities.
He also encouraged students considering research careers to be motivated by curiosity rather than obligation. “Students should only do it because they are driven to, not because it is just a means to an end,” he said.
Bernstein highlighted Manitoba’s collaborative network. “Through collaboration with superstar clinicians and researchers in Manitoba, we have developed an international reputation for our [IBD] research program […] We continue to extend our collaborations worldwide to enhance our understanding and care for these patients,” he said.
Each June, his research centre hosts an international symposium on gastroenterology in Winnipeg, drawing trainees and specialists from around the world.
He said, “June 11 and 12, 2026 will be our 29th annual symposium. Trainees get free registration (and free food!). We bring in about 15 international gastroenterology stars to participate.”
By continuing to integrate epidemiology, microbiome science and mental health research, Bernstein’s work positions Manitoba as a global hub in the search for causes and treatments of IBD.
More information can be found at ibdmanitoba.org.
