New Beckman Center Director Announcement

After 23 years of dedicated service, Dr. Lucy Shapiro, the Virgina and D.K. Ludwig Professor, Emerita, has decided to step down as the Beckman Center Director. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Shapiro’s contributions and leadership and wish her all the best in her retirement. While we will greatly miss her guidance and foresight, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark Krasnow, the Paul and Mildred Berg Professor, as the new Beckman Center Director effective September 1, 2025.

Dr. Krasnow brings a wealth of higher education and scientific research experience to the job. A distinguished researcher, Dr. Krasnow is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, a member of both the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences, and executive director of the Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease. He has won numerous awards for his research into how the complex three-dimensional structure of the lung is genetically encoded and maintained. Dr. Krasnow and his research team use new and emerging genetic and genomic tools to probe, at single-cell resolution, the molecular programs that control development, renewal, regeneration, and function of the lung, with the goal of discovering new ways of detecting, classifying, and treating lung cancer as well as other deadly lung diseases.

Dr. Krasnow holds a PhD in Biochemistry and an MD in Medicine, both from the University of Chicago. He came to Stanford University for his postdoctoral work with Dr. David Hogness, one of the founding faculty members in the department of biochemistry.  Dr. Krasnow joined Dr. Hogness as a faculty member in biochemistry shortly after completing his postdoctoral work. Dr. Krasnow has a long history with the Beckman Center as a service center advisory committee member, supporting Beckman programs and educational events.  All of this has positioned him to have a strong vision for the future of the Beckman Center and its relationship with the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, Stanford University, and the School of Medicine.

This leadership transition is part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, discovery, leadership, and growth in the basic sciences. The director provides Beckman program oversight and guidance that includes four large fee-for-service centers providing high-tech support in imaging, cell sorting, protein and nucleic acid chemistry, and bioinformatics to hundreds of researchers across the university. In addition, Beckman sponsors multiple educational programs including large research symposiums, seminars, and workshops, faculty recruitment funding, and seed grants to interdisciplinary researchers at Stanford.

We look forward to a bright future together under the direction of Dr. Krasnow. Should you have any questions or need further information, please contact Naomi Love, Beckman Program and Events Manager, at naomi.love@stanford.edu.