A photo of Robert Shapiro.

Director, Child Abuse Team / Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

513-636-0037

513-636-0204

Board Certified

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My Biography & Research

Biography

As a child abuse physician, I understand that recognizing child abuse requires a multidisciplinary collaboration among doctors, nurses, social workers, child protection workers, law enforcement and attorneys. I direct the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s, which is a best-practice leader in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of child abuse.

Diagnosing child abuse during my clinical work in the Pediatric Emergency Department raised my curiosity about how we can better protect children and families by increasing our understanding of child maltreatment.

My research is mostly concerned with improving child health and well-being by adding to our understanding of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress and resilience. I am the executive director of Joining Forces for Children, a strong community collaboration working to build child and family resilience within the greater Cincinnati area. Some of my other research focuses on more accurately diagnosing child abuse.

I have been honored several times for the work I do. I have received the:

  • 2016 Insuring the Children Jerry Clark Humanitarian Award
  • 2016 Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST) Practice-Based Research Award
  • 2016 CCTST Academic-Community Research Partnership Award
  • 2017 Encourage the Heart Award from Child Focus, Inc.
  • 2018 Beacon of Light Humanitarian Award from Lighthouse Youth and Family Services

Clinical Interests

Child abuse; telemedicine

Research Interests

Child abuse diagnostics

Academic Affiliation

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Clinical Divisions

Injury Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention

Research Divisions

Child Abuse Prevention



Blog Posts

Preventing Child Abuse is a TwoStep Process

BlogChild Development and Behavior

Preventing Child Abuse is a Two-Step Process

By Robert A. Shapiro, MD4/17/2015

My Locations

My Education

MD: University of Illinois Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 1979.

Residency: Pediatrics, Bellevue Hospital Center - New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 1982.

Fellowship: Pediatric Ambulatory Care, Bellevue Hospital Center - New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 1984.

Certification: Pediatrics, 1985; Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 1992.

My Publications

Chlamydia conjunctivitis in 2 prepubertal children: An uncommon presentation of child sexual abuse. Brownell, AD; Utz, VM; Makoroff, KL; Shapiro, RA; Mortensen, JE. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2020; Publish Ahead of Print:e473-e475.

Supporting Families Exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences Within Child Care Settings: A Feasibility Pilot. Eismann, EA; Brinkmann, C; Theuerling, J; Shapiro, RA. Early Childhood Education Journal. 2020; 48:451-462.

Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences and Pediatric Healthcare Use by 2 Years of Age. Eismann, EA; Folger, AT; Stephenson, NB; Brownrigg, ME; Shapiro, RA; Macaluso, M; Gillespie, RJ. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2019; 211:146-151.

Caution Is Required When Using Non-Food and Drug Administration-Cleared Assays to Diagnose Sexually Transmitted Infections in Children. Brownell, AD; Shapiro, RA; Hammerschlag, MR. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2019; 206:280-282.

Integration of the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) Model Across Primary Care Settings. Eismann, EA; Theuerling, J; Maguire, S; Hente, EA; Shapiro, RA. Clinical Pediatrics. 2019; 58:166-176.

Psychological Maltreatment and Medical Neglect of Transgender Adolescents: The Need for Recognition and Individualized Assessment. Antommaria, AH M; Shapiro, RA; Conard, LA E. The American Journal of Bioethics. 2019; 19:72-74.

Providers' Ability to Identify Sentinel Injuries Concerning for Physical Abuse in Infants. Eismann, EA; Shapiro, RA; Thackeray, J; Makoroff, K; Bressler, CJ; Kim, GJ; Vavul-Roediger, L; McPherson, P; Izsak, E; Spencer, SP. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2018; Publish Ahead of Print.

Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences and Offspring Development at 2 Years of Age. Folger, AT; Eismann, EA; Stephenson, NB; Shapiro, RA; Macaluso, M; Brownrigg, ME; Gillespie, RJ. Pediatrics. 2018; 141:e20172826-e20172826.

Maternal Interpersonal Trauma and Child Social-Emotional Development: An Intergenerational Effect. Folger, AT; Putnam, KT; Putnam, FW; Peugh, JL; Eismann, EA; Sa, T; Shapiro, RA; Van Ginkel, JB; Ammerman, RT. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2017; 31:99-107.

Children with burns referred for child abuse evaluation: Burn characteristics and co-existent injuries. Pawlik, MC; Kemp, A; Maguire, S; Nuttall, D; Feldman, KW; Lindberg, DM; Coffman, J; Bretl, D; Harper, N; Deye, K; et al. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2016; 55:52-61.