Berns (born December 1, 1942) is a professor of surgery and cell biology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the University of California, San Diego.
Berns is a founder of the first Laser Microbeam Program (LAMP), the Beckman Laser Institute, the UCI Center for Biomedical Engineering, and the UCI Photonics Incubator.His pioneering work has focused on the use of laser technology in medical and biological research.
He has developed tools and techniques for the surgical use of lasers, down to the level of manipulating single cells and individual chromosomes.
Berns has published extensively on use of lasers in both biomedical research and medical treatment of illnesses including skin disorders, vascular disease, eye problems, and cancer.