Matthew Penn

Matthew Penn is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, specializing in public health law and legal epidemiology. He also serves as Director of CDC’s National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, leading legal epidemiology and workforce development initiatives. Penn has authored influential works such as The New Public Health Law: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Practice and Advocacy (2022) and contributed to research on emergency preparedness, health equity, and policy surveillance.

Education: MLIS (University of South Carolina), JD (University of South Carolina, with honors), BA in English (University of Georgia).

Research focuses on integrating law as a tool for public health practice, including legal literacy, emergency declarations, and policy advocacy. His work emphasizes transdisciplinary approaches to address health disparities and improve legal frameworks for public health responses. Recent articles explore post-pandemic legal strategies, food safety laws, and privacy in public health data.

Key roles include directing CDC’s Office of Public Health Law Services and prior experience as a legal advisor for South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. He has developed the Public Health Law Academy to enhance workforce legal capacity and published on topics like electronic health reporting laws and tribal public health policies.

Penn’s career bridges academia and federal service, advancing legal epidemiology as a critical public health practice. His affiliations include the South Carolina Bar Association and leadership in public health law education and policy development.