Howard M. Shapiro: Remembering Cytometry's Muse.

Abstract

There's no people like flow people; They smile where the lights are low. Even when there's Mycoplasma in your cells, Your laser smokes and emits bad smells, Still, you wouldn't trade it for a stack of gels- Well, I wouldn't, I know. Let's go on with the flow! (circa 1990 to the tune of “There's No Business like Show Business”) Howard Shapiro's love for cytometry and “flow people” was never more evident than in his music! So many of us can date our life in cytometry by the events where Howard was front and center not only entertaining us, but always teaching us something. Practical Flow Cytometry, for many of us, was the bible where we learned not only the how, but the what, and why of this science of analytical cytology that we know as flow cytometry. Howard was the consummate teacher and colleague. He always had time for any question big or small; he was never too busy to contribute to ISAC as well as many, many other venues where we all gathered to exchange knowledge, theories, and dream along with him of the future of cytometry. The world of cytometry would not be what it is today without Howard Shapiro and we will miss him dearly. We will miss his expansive expertise in all that it takes to make cytometers and cytometry work; we will miss his musings on what this field is and can be and how we can contribute to making the world a safer and healthier place; but most of all we will miss Howard. We have lost our gifted teacher, accomplished scientist, and dear friend. Not a one of us will ever be able to hear such classics as “List Mode,” “Carcinoma,” “The Great Attender” without smiling! Howard Shapiro made cytometry and our world a truly better place! I am glad that I, as so many of us, could call you teacher, but most of all friend. Photo courtesy of ISAC members Alvarao Luiz Bertho and Raquel Nogueira. The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1002/cyto.a.24515.