- Faculty & Staff, Message from the Dean, Students
- June 2, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing today with very sad news. Professor George Annas passed away on May 30 after a short, unexpected illness. We do not have funeral or memorial details yet, but we will be in touch with plans for celebrating George’s legacy.
Professor Annas was a cherished member of the Boston University community for over four decades and a pillar of scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and advocacy. George founded the Health Law Program at BU, creating a model that bridged the disciplines of medicine, public health, and law when no one thought to do such things. His career was truly groundbreaking.
George was William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management and Director of the Center for Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights at SPH. He also held appointments at Medicine and Law. His work was not only instrumental in shaping the fields of health law and bioethics, he also built institutions with wide ranging impact, such as the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, the Journal of Law, and the American Journal of Law and Medicine. His efforts contributed to establishing a scholarly community that now includes hundreds of health law scholars across the nation, and which will be meeting this week at the 48th annual Health Law Professors’ Conference.
Beyond his academic achievements, Professor Annas was revered for his unwavering commitment to patient rights and human dignity. His teachings and writings have left an indelible mark on countless students, colleagues, advocates, and practitioners worldwide.
His legacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations in the pursuit of justice and ethical integrity in health care and human subjects research. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him.