Faculty and Staff
Gene Matthews, JD
Gene Matthews, JD, served as the Legal Advisor to CDC in Atlanta from 1979 to 2004 and, as the manager of the legal staff there for 25 years, handled a wide range of public health law issues. His initial work at CDC coincided with the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. His experience has included questions of patient confidentiality, access to records, liability for vaccine-related injuries, occupational health protection, environmental concerns, and chronic disease prevention strategies. He has litigated important public health lawsuits and civil discovery questions. Mr. Matthews is widely published and is frequently called upon to lecture on cutting-edge legal issues facing CDC, such as AIDS, livable communities, and bioterrorism preparedness.
Most recently, Mr. Matthews provided leadership for CDC's development of a newly created Public Health Law Program designed to improve the understanding of the use of laws as tools of public health in the 21st century. He has guided this exciting initiative to reach out both to the legal community and to public health practitioners through research, training, information, and partnerships.
Mr. Matthews currently resides in Atlanta and is active in developing the field of public health law. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law and is an avid distance swimmer.