Howard Lincoln Fields

Professor of Neurology and Physiology Emeritus, Clinician-investigator in pain research and treatment. Discovered a pathway modulating pain sensation by endorphins, deepening understanding of morphine tolerance and chronic pain, and explaining the analgesic effects of placebos. Developed first-line treatment for the relief of postherpetic neuralgia (pain after shingles). Later work explores the circuitry in brain that underlies addiction to opiate drugs and alcohol. Has addressed educational issues in health care. Recipient of National Migraine Foundation Award (1984) and R.D. Adams Award of American Neurological Association (2006), elected to Institute of Medicine (1997). Wrote Pain: Mechanisms and Management (1987); edited Core Curriculum for Professional Education in Pain (1991).