Neil M. Iyengar, MD Associate Attending, Breast Medicine Service Principal Investigator, Exercise Oncology Program Program Lead, MSK Healthy Living Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Neil Iyengar is a board-certified Medical Oncologist and Physician-Scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) where he specializes in the care of patients with breast cancer. He also holds joint research appointments at the Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Dr. Iyengar’s research program investigates interventions to improve metabolic health as a strategy to reduce breast cancer risk and mortality. Dr. Iyengar is a National Cancer Institute Principal Investigator and an American Cancer Society Research Scholar. His group is testing the anti-cancer effects of structured exercise and nutritional interventions in people at high risk or diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dr. Iyengar’s research is also investigating the use of drugs that treat metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity, to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies. In an effort to rapidly translate this work, Dr. Iyengar also leads the MSK Healthy Living Program, a novel cancer care model that aims to translate research findings from lifestyle intervention trials into clinical practice during and after cancer therapy. His work has been recognized and awarded by several organizations, including research grants from the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Conquer Cancer the ASCO Foundation, and others. His group has published numerous original research articles and he has been an invited speaker at several international conferences.
Dr. Iyengar is delighted to partner with the Alka Ohri Foundation to establish a collaboration with Jennifer Ligibel, MD at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to develop a comprehensive and personalized Healthy Living Program. Funding from the Alka Ohri Foundation will allow both centers to expand the vanguard lifestyle research conducted by Drs. Iyengar and Ligibel to generate standards that can be implemented at cancer centers across the world. Through this innovative work, Drs. Iyengar and Ligibel will advance the vision of the Alka Ohri Foundation to improve the lives of people touched by cancer and ultimately optimize outcomes in oncology and overall wellbeing.
Letter of Recommendation from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center