Research Faculty

Charles Berde, MD, PhD

Department Anesthesiology
Hospital Title Chief, Division of Pain Medicine
Academic Title Professor of Pediatrics
Phone 617-355-7040
Fax 617-730-0894
Email Charles Berde
Location 300 Longwood Avenue
333 Longwood-5
Boston MA 02115

Research Overview

Charles Berde's research focuses on relieving neuropathic pain in children. The Pain Treatment Service at Children's Hospital in Boston has become a referral center for children with many types of neuropathic pain, but especially limb pain associated with signs of abnormal circulation, which has been variously named reflex sympathetic (or neurovascular) dystrophy (RSD/RND), sympathetically maintained pain (SMP), and complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS1).

About Charles Berde

Charles Berde received an MD and PhD from Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston, a residency in anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at Children's Hospital.

He has received several awards and honors for his pioneering work in pediatric pain relief, including the 2003 Scientific Achievement Award of the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association. He was profiled as one of Time Magazine's "Heroes in Medicine" in 1997.

Key Publications

  • Berde CB, Sethna NF. Analgesics for the treatment of pain in children. New England Journal of Medicine 2002; 347: 1094-1103.
  • Berde CB, Brennan TJ, Raja SN. Opioids: more to learn, improvements to be made. Anesthesiology 2003; 98: 1309-1312.
  • Berde C, Wolfe J. Pain, anxiety, distress, and suffering: interrelated, but not interchangeable. Journal of Pediatrics 2003; 142: 361-3.