Shapiro Award

Howard Shapiro: Expanding the Reach of Cytometry

Howard M. Shapiro was a physician, scientist, educator, author, and one of the most influential voices in the development and understanding of flow cytometry. Through his research, writing, teaching, and consulting, he helped generations of scientists understand not only how cytometry worked, but also how its capabilities could be applied to important problems in biology and medicine.

Shapiro was perhaps best known for Practical Flow Cytometry, his landmark textbook that became an essential resource for cytometrists around the world. Written with remarkable clarity and a distinctive sense of humor, the book helped make a complex technology accessible to students, researchers, clinicians, and laboratory professionals. His influence extended well beyond the pages of the book: through lectures, workshops, publications, and personal interactions, he was a tireless teacher and advocate for cytometry. 

A defining feature of Shapiro’s work was his interest in making cytometry more accessible. He recognized that conventional flow cytometers could be expensive, complex, and difficult to deploy in settings with limited resources. He explored the potential of simpler, smaller, and less expensive imaging and flow cytometry technologies that could bring quantitative cellular analysis to places where conventional instruments were impractical. His work specifically considered applications in resource-poor regions, including the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. 

Shapiro’s vision was not limited to technology itself. He believed that innovation was most meaningful when it could solve real problems and expand what scientists and clinicians were able to accomplish. His engagement with cytometry in the developing world, including his efforts to promote appropriate technologies for improved flow cytometric analysis in Africa, reflected this philosophy. 

The Howard Shapiro Award honors this legacy by recognizing researchers in developing countries who are using innovative approaches to expand the reach and impact of image and flow cytometry—developing diagnostic and educational tools that address local needs and make the benefits of cytometry accessible to more people.

EXPLORE HOWARD’S LEGACY

• Practical Flow Cytometry: Shapiro’s landmark reference on the science, technology, and applications of flow cytometry
• Shapiro’s Laws of Flow Cytometry
• A tribute to Howard: Remembering Cytometry’s Muse