Neil Iyengar, MD earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago after graduating from that institution's accelerated undergraduate degree program with its highest honors, University Scholar, in his joint fields of Biological Sciences (B.S.) and Anthropology (B.A.).  He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center followed by fellowships in Medical Oncology and Hematology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and in Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.  He has in 2025 assumed new appointments as Co-Director of the Breast Oncology Program and Director of Cancer Survivorship Services at Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, after many years of service as Associate Member faculty, Associate Attending Physician, and Program Lead of the innovative Optimal Living Program for research-coordinated cancer patient lifestyle management plans, in the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  He had also previously been a clinical preceptor for medical students at the Breast Medicine Service, and held joint research appointments at the Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science and at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Iyengar's work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center combined medical oncology practice dedicated exclusively to the care of patients with breast cancer, with clinical-translational research investigating precision interventions to improve metabolic health as a strategy to reduce breast cancer risk and mortality.  His research group tested the anti-cancer effects of structured exercise and nutritional interventions in people at high risk or diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as examining the use of drugs that treat metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity, to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies.  These efforts were supported by research grants from a number of notable organizations such as:  National Cancer Institute;  American Cancer Society;  Breast Cancer Research Foundation;  and Conquer Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation.

Dr. Iyengar was initially brought to the P-POD Conference as part of its Distinguished Researchers Series, and he was Principal Investigator for nine ongoing clinical trials related to breast cancer, adipose tissue inflammation or therapeutic exercise at Memorial Sloan Kettering.  He has been honored with a variety of awards such as the Oncology Hero Award from Physician Education Resources, New York, the Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society and the Young Investigator Award from the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer, and is the author or co-author of 41 articles in peer-reviewed research journals and five textbook chapters.  He is also Co-Editor-in-Chief of Oncology journal, Associate Editor of npj Breast Cancer journal, an Editorial Board member for Cancer Prevention Research at the American Association for Cancer Research, and a reviewer for two other peer-reviewed research journals in the cancer field.