George Annas

George Joseph Annas Jr. (July 13, 1945 – May 30, 2025) was an American scholar and ethicist. He was the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights at the Boston University School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and School of Law.

Biography Annas was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota on July 13, 1945.

Annas was the cofounder of Global Lawyers and Physicians, a transnational professional NGO that states it is dedicated to promoting human rights and health. He taught health law and human rights courses in the Boston University School of Public Health, the Boston University School of Law, and the Boston University School of Medicine.

Annas was married for 55 years to Mary Frances Roche, who died in October 2024. They had two children, Katie, an attorney, and David, a forensic psychiatrist.

Annas died at the age of 79 at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts on May 30, 2025, after a recent cancer diagnosis.

Selected bibliography Books

Book review:

Book review: Selected as second of the top ten humanitarian books of 1999.

Annas, George J. (2014). Public Health Law (2nd ed.). University of California Press. . Annas, George J., & Elias, Sherman (2015). *Genomic Messages: How the Evolving Science of Genetics Affects Our Health, Families, and Future*. HarperOne. .

Journal articles

Annas, George J. (2001). "Conjoined Twins — The Limits of Law at the Limits of Life." *New England Journal of Medicine*, 344(14), 1104–1108. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM200104053441419

Honors and recognition Member, National Academy of Medicine Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Vice Chair, American Bar Association’s Committee on Health Rights and Bioethics Member, Committee on Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences Held various government regulatory posts, including: -- Vice Chair, Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine -- Chair, Massachusetts Health Facilities Appeals Board -- Chair, Massachusetts Organ Transplant Task Force

Advocacy and impact Advocated for patient rights, including the right to refuse medical treatment Criticized force-feeding of detainees and medical complicity in torture Contributed to the field of health and human rights, particularly in response to public health crises like HIV/AIDS