Founder of The Freire Group, Maria C. Freire presently is Principal at this company. Dr. Freire is also Member of Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. and Member of National Academy of Medicine (United States) and on the board of 5 other companies.

Dr. Freire previously was President & Director at Albert & Mary Lasker Foundation, Member-Commission on Intellectual Property Rights at World Health Organization (United States), Director-Technology Transfer at National Institutes of Health, Member-Science Board at US Food & Drug Administration, President & Chief Executive Officer for Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and President & Executive Director at Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Inc.

Maria C. Freire received an undergraduate degree from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, a doctorate from the University of Virginia and a graduate degree from the University of Tennessee.