Prof. Dr. med. Martin Heinz Dreyling

Professor Dr. med. Martin Heinz Dreyling is a globally recognized authority in the field of internal medicine, specifically focusing on hematology and oncology. Currently serving as a Full Professor of Medicine and the Head of the Lymphoma Program at the Medical Clinic III of the University Hospital LMU Munich in Großhadern, his career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of better outcomes for patients with malignant lymphomas. His academic journey began with medical studies across several prestigious German institutions, including the universities of Düsseldorf, Giessen, Tübingen, and Würzburg, culminating in his graduation in 1987 and the completion of his doctorate in 1990. His clinical expertise was shaped through rigorous training at the universities of Bonn, Münster, Göttingen, and Munich. A pivotal moment in his career occurred between 1992 and 1995 when he served as a Visiting Scientist at the University of Chicago. During this period, he focused his research on the molecular mechanisms of mantle cell lymphoma, a specialty that would eventually make him a leading voice in international hematology. Upon returning to Germany, he achieved his habilitation at LMU Munich in 2001, where his thesis explored the molecular genetic and functional characterization of tumor suppressor regions in hematological malignancies. This academic foundation paved the way for his appointment as a senior physician in 2002 and his promotion to Full Professor in 2007. Dr. Dreyling’s research is deeply integrated with his clinical practice, centering on the molecular basis of malignant transformation and the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. He is perhaps best known as the founder and coordinator of the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network, an organization that has fundamentally shifted the global standard of care for this specific disease. His work frequently investigates the efficacy of B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors and PI3K inhibitors, such as ibrutinib and copanlisib, moving away from traditional chemotherapy toward more precise, biological treatments. He has been a primary investigator in landmark clinical trials, most notably the TRIANGLE study, which challenged the long-standing reliance on autologous stem cell transplantation in favor of integrating targeted therapies into frontline treatment. Beyond his research and clinical duties, Dr. Dreyling holds significant leadership roles that influence the direction of hematological oncology across Europe. He serves as the President of the German Lymphoma Alliance and has been a longstanding member of the Executive Board of the European Haematology Association, where he also served as Treasurer. Since 2012, he has coordinated the Center for Malignant Hematology at LMU Munich and remains a key figure in the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group. His prolific output includes over five hundred scientific publications in high-tier journals like The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet Oncology. His contributions have been honored with numerous accolades, including the Fritz Acker Prize and the John Ultmann Award for his contributions to the study of lymphoma.