Prof. Dr. med. Mathias Freund has been born in 1949 near Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. After studies of medicine and graduation in Tübingen between 1968 and 1976 he had his postgraduate education at Tübingen University Hospitals. 1981 Board certification as specialist in internal medicine and hematology / oncology. After his military service Prof. Freund was appointed 1982 at the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Hanover Medical School. He achieved the postdoctoral lecture qualification in 1988.

1994 to 2012 Prof. Freund has been the chairman of the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine at Rostock University. Research activities have been in acute and chronic leukemias, lymphomas, cytokines, hemostaseology, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, stem cells and regenerative medicine. Prof. Freund has published 333 scientific papers, 53 books, supplements, and monographs, and 88 book chapters. He has organized and chaired several national and international congresses.

Prof. Freund was an initiator of the Biomedical Research Center in Rostock and founder of several business companies e.g. M.D. Medical Development GmbH and Seracell Pharma AG.

Prof. Freund has current and former activities in many national and international scientific societies. Prof. Freund has been Chairman of the Cancer Society of Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania from 1996 to 2013. He has been Executive Chairman of the German Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO) from 2012 to 2015 and has been Central Organization Officer and Treasurer of the society from 1996 to 2012.

Since 2014 Prof. Freund is chairman of the board of trustees of the German Foundation for Young Adults with Cancer.