Elizabeth Narcessian Award for Outstanding Educational Achievements in the Field of Pain

Charles Argoff, MD

Charles E. Argoff, MD, is professor of neurology at Albany Medical College and director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Albany Medical Center in New York. Dr. Argoff received his medical degree from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. He completed an internship in the Department of Medicine and a residency in the Department of Neurology at the State University of New York in Stony Brook and a fellowship in Developmental and Metabolic Neurology at the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Dr. Argoff is a member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the International Association for the Study of Pain, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the American Pain Society, among other professional organizations. He served as chair of the AAN Pain and Palliative Care Section and also served for 6 years on AAN’s Quality Standards Subcommittee. He is one of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology representatives to the Examining Committee for the American Board of Medical Specialties Subspecialty Certification Examination in Pain Medicine. He serves on the editorial board of the Clinical Journal of Pain and as a reviewer for the Journal of Pain, Brain, JAMA, Neurology, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, and the Clinical Journal of Pain. He is coeditor of the Neuropathic Pain Section of Pain Medicine. He is one of the founders of and chairperson of the steering committee for the Fundamentals of Pain Management Course for residents held annually and sponsored by the American Pain Society.

Dr. Argoff has served as a guest editor for and published articles in the Clinical Journal of Pain and Current Pain and Headache Reports, among other peer-reviewed journals. He has written on many types of pain, including myofascial pain, spinal and radicular pain, and neuropathic pain. He has written on such treatments as topical analgesics, interventional pain management, botulinum toxins, the scientific basis of multimodal therapy for chronic painful conditions, and oral analgesics, and has contributed many book chapters. Dr. Argoff had an active role in the development of the diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain guidelines published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and he has contributed to other published neuropathic pain treatment guidelines. He is one of the editors of the recently published textbook Raj’s Practical Management of Pain, Fourth Edition. He is coauthor of Defeat Chronic Pain Now, a just-published book for people with chronic pain. He recently published the third edition of Pain Management Secrets.

The Elizabeth Narcessian Award was named in memory of Elizabeth Narcessian, MD, a noted educator on the appropriate use of opioids, patient assessment, and approaches to rehabilitation of patients devastated by chronic pain. The award recognizes outstanding contributions highlighting dedication or innovation in education in the field of pain.