Research Interests

Dr. Giovanni Berardi's research focuses on understanding the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying chronic pain and fatigue, with the overarching goal of improving prevention, assessment, and personalized treatment strategies for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal and chronic overlapping pain conditions. His work integrates clinical, physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial approaches to identify factors that influence symptom development, persistence, and treatment response.
 

Exercise, Pain, and Fatigue in Chronic Conditions

Examine the effects of exercise on pain and fatigue in individuals with chronic pain and fatigue conditions, including fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and Long COVID. This work investigates how biological, psychological, and social factors influence symptom responses to physical activity, including perceived pain and fatigue, experimental pain sensitivity, and performance fatigability. This research aims to develop evidence-based, personalized exercise strategies that maximize health benefits while minimizing symptom exacerbation and improving long-term physical function and quality of life.

Clinical Phenotyping and Precision Rehabilitation

Characterize clinical phenotypes and identify factors that contribute to heterogeneity in symptom presentation and treatment outcomes among individuals with widespread pain and fatigue. Through the examination of symptom profiles, functional limitations, and responses to therapeutic interventions across conditions such as fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and post-COVID conditions, this work aims to advance precision rehabilitation approaches and improve patient-centered care.

Biopsychosocial Mechanisms of Chronic Pain and Fatigue

Identifying the biological, psychological, and social mechanisms that contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain and fatigue. This work spans both preclinical and clinical populations and investigates factors such as pain modulation, inflammation, physical activity, psychological resilience, health behaviors, and other whole-person determinants of health. These studies strive to improve understanding of the mechanisms driving symptom variability and recovery.

Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain

Dr. Berardi is an investigator in the Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS) Program, a large multicenter longitudinal project designed to identify biological, psychological, and behavioral predictors of chronic pain development following surgery. This research focuses on identifying risk and resilience factors associated with pain chronification and informing strategies for early intervention and prevention.

Please contact Dr. Berardi to discuss the research capabilities, resources, and collaborative opportunities available within the clinical and wet laboratory environments.

giovanni-berardi@uiowa.edu

A complete list of Dr. Berardi's publications can be found at:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/giovanni.berardi.1/bibliography/public/