Dr. Shapiro has worked for over two decades in Botswana, performing clinical trials and nationwide surveillance to improve health outcomes for HIV-infected pregnant women and their children. His current research focus is to understand the relationship between antiretroviral drugs used in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes, and to study novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for HIV-infected children.
In Botswana, Dr. Shapiro has pioneered new strategies to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, provided early data to support antiretroviral treatment strategies that were safe enough to allow breastfeeding, and evaluated risks for morbidity and mortality among HIV-exposed infants.
He is currently principal investigator or co-principal investigator for research programs that perform:
1) surveillance at 18 sites in Botswana evaluating the relationship between antiretroviral therapy and adverse birth outcomes, including congenital abnormalities;
2) a multi-site study evaluating the safety, efficacy, viral reservoir reduction, and immunologic profiles following very early antiretroviral treatment initiation for HIV-infected infants; and
3) a clinical trial evaluating two broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNAbs) as a novel treatment strategy for HIV-infected children.
He supports additional research in Botswana as the principal investigator of a Fogarty award, through a successful partnership between Harvard-affiliated hospitals and the Scottish Livingstone Hospital in Botswana, and as a research mentor bridging Boston and Botswana sites. Dr. Shapiro’s research has been used to direct health policy in Botswana and internationally, and through this work he has served as a scientific advisor to the World Health Organization for the development of guidelines for HIV prevention, antiretroviral treatment, and infant feeding.
Teaching
Dr. Shapiro is the Faculty Director of the Botswana Clinical Fellowship Program, which supports Infectious Disease fellows, residents, and students who are starting careers in international HIV. He is an active member of the Infectious Disease Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 2019, Dr. Shapiro launched a new course at HSPH entitled “Infectious Disease Outbreaks of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Strategies for Investigation and Control.”
Dr. Shapiro is an Associate Director for Education at the Harvard Initiative for Global Health. In this capacity, he helps to mentor Infectious Disease fellows, residents, and students who are interested in research projects related to international HIV. Dr. Shapiro has helped to establish a Clinical Care and Research Fellowship at the Scottish Livingstone Hospital in Molepolole, Botswana to support fellows and junior faculty starting careers in international HIV.
