Pia Matthews

Pia Matthews serves as Senior Lecturer in Bioethics and Medical Law at St Mary's University, Faculty Member of Mater Ecclesiae College, and Director of Quality Assurance at Allen Hall Seminary Chelsea. She holds advanced degrees from Cambridge University (BA/MA Law), Surrey University (BTh Theology), and St Mary's (MA Bioethics), with a PhD exploring patristic theology's application to bioethical personhood.

Her research centers on disability theology, particularly profound intellectual disability and dementia care, integrating theological anthropology with practical bioethics. Key interests include:

• Vocational spirituality for people with disabilities
• Ethics in healthcare chaplaincy
• Catholic Social Teaching applications
• Marriage and family theology
• End-of-life spiritual care

Her 10+ publications since 2013 reveal strong thematic continuity, bridging Trinitarian theology with contemporary disability rights discourse. Articles consistently prioritize relational personhood over functional capacity, challenging medical models through theological lenses.

Awarded appointment as Synod Expert by Pope Francis (2015), she represents the Catholic Bishops' Conference internationally and serves on boards including CBET, InSpiRe, and the Anscombe Bioethics Centre.

Matthews actively shapes Catholic bioethics through Vatican engagements with Pontifical Councils for Culture and Laity, while directing curriculum development for seminarians at Allen Hall.