About Lauren Shapiro, MD, MS

Dr. Lauren Shapiro is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in surgical care for injuries or other conditions of the upper extremities. She has a particular interest in treating patients who have had traumatic or sports injuries to their hands or forearms. She is an Assistant Professor in the Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity Division of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  

Dr. Shapiro completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University while a member of the varsity women’s soccer team. She completed residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University, serving as a chief resident during her final year. She then completed a fellowship in Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microvascular Surgery at Duke University. She also completed a Master’s Degree in Health Analytics from the Duke Fuqua School of Business.

Dr. Shapiro has clinical expertise in conditions of the upper extremity, including the hand, wrist, and elbow. Her clinical interests include traumatic hand and forearm injuries stemming from sports-related injuries to acute traumas as well as common issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel, and ligament and tendon injuries.

Dr. Shapiro’s research interests span multiple disciplines with projects rooted in providing high-quality and patient-centered care. She conducts research on patient preferences, shared-decision making, and empowering patients to understand their treatment options. She is a member of the Hand Surgery Quality Consortium, a consortium of hand surgery experts studying quality in hand surgery; and she chairs the Global Quality in Upper Extremity Surgery and Training consortium, a consortium of global health and hand surgery experts interested in promoting the delivery of safe and high-quality care in low- and middle-income countries. She has presented her research nationally and internationally and has published more than 65 peer-reviewed manuscripts and seven book chapters.

Dr. Shapiro is active in professional societies -- serving on committees within the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and reviewing manuscripts for the Journal of Hand Surgery.

She is equally as active in her local and global communities. She has conducted outreach programs to improve surgery, education, and research programs in developing countries across the globe. She has received awards for this work, including the AFSH-HVO Traveling Fellowship.