He has been a pioneer in the field of clinical bioethics and has completed the second edition of his book, "Tough Decisions: A Casebook in Medical Ethics."

John M. Freeman, M.D., is the Lederer Professor Emeritus of Pediatric Epilepsy and Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics. A graduate of Amherst College and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he is trained in both pediatrics and neurology. He initiated the Division of Pediatric Neurology at  Hopkins in 1969, stepped down as Director in 1992. He was the Director of the Division of Pediatric Epilepsy from 1972-2002 and Director of the Birth Defects Clinic at Johns Hopkins 1969-1992. During this time, he became engaged in the discussions of the selection process proposed for children with spina bifida. This experience led him into other ethical discussions regarding newborns with congenital defects, the right to life, death and dying, etc. Dr. Freeman was the creator and first chair of the Johns Hopkins Ethics Committee and chair of the bioethics search committee. He is a core faculty member of the Berman Bioethics Institute. He co-authored Tough Decisions: A Casebook in Bioethics (Oxford University Press 1987, 2002) and is the author of a number of articles in the field of bioethics. 

1950-54, A.M., Amherst College, Amherst, MA
1954-58, M.D., The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
1958-61 Intern and Resident in Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
1961-64 Fellow in Pediatric Neurology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY