His research focuses on coping with medical crises and physician-patient communication. He has received research awards from the American Psychological Association and clinical teaching awards from the senior residents at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Shapiro earned his Ph.D at the University of Florida and went on to Harvard Medical School where he completed an internship at McLean Hospital and an endowed fellowship in medical crisis counseling at Boston Children's Hospital, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital.

His professional writings have appeared in Ethics and Behavior, Health Psychology, and the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

His personal essays have appeared in the New York Times, JAMA, the American Psychological Association's Monitor and he has had a few commentaries on National Public Radio's: All Things Considered.

As a result of his expertise as someone who has lived on "both sides of the medical bed", he has been featured on the Today Show, in the New York Times, ABCNEWS.COM, NPR's Talk of the Nation, and in a number of other periodicals. He speaks widely to public and professional groups.

His book, Moms Marijuana, was published in October 2000 by Harmony Books (a Random House imprint) and appeared as a Vintage paperback in fall 2001. It has been translated into Dutch, Italian, Portugeuse, and Spanish.

Dr. Shapiro's second book is titled Delivering Doctor Amelia: The Story of a Gifted Young Obstetrician's Mistake and the Psychologist Who Helped Her.