Matthew P. Hardy was a senior scientist at the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research before his unexpected death on 4 November 2007. Hardy studied androgen secretion and male reproductive health, stress and reproduction, environmental toxicants and male fertility, as well as male contraception. Before joining the Council in 1991, Hardy worked at Johns Hopkins University.

Hardy received his undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. For five years he served as co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Andrology. At the time of his death he was serving as the president/managing partner of the Testis Workshop LLC, a biennial international meeting for scientists working on male fertility and infertility.

Hardy was affiliated with the Population Council's Reproductive Health program.