Bernice Hines was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating from Harbord Collegiate, Bernice won the “First Alumni Scholarship” at the University of Toronto (in General Proficiency) in 1945. This award made her choice easier to commence her Honours Science programme in Physiology and Biochemistry at University of Toronto. Bernice married Colin Hines in 1948, who later became a Professor of Physics. She later graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Physiology in 1950 under the supervision of Dr. R. Haist in the field of carbohydrate metabolism.
Bernice worked as a Research Scientist at the Defence Research Medical Labs, Ottawa in 1951, and as a Research Associate in the Department of Experimental Medicine in Professor R.A. McCance laboratory at Cambridge University, England from 1952-54. During this period Bernice also worked as a teaching assistant at Cambridge. When Bernice returned to the University of Toronto in 1967 she was appointed as a lecturer in Department of Physiology where she was involved in coordinating several physiology laboratories courses in the Life Sciences and Health Science programs.
In addition to lecturing in several courses, Bernice played a pivotal role in enhancing the educational experience of undergraduate physiology students in her role as a course coordinator of Advanced Physiology Laboratory course (PSL 373Y). In this course, Bernice challenged her students with critical thinking and problem solving scenarios. She was very popular with both undergraduate and graduate students.