UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 15, 2025 / Marquis Who's Who honors Clet Niyikiza, PhD, for his expertise in and contributions to health care. With a professional career spanning over three decades, Dr. Niyikiza is a renowned figure in the field of cancer research and drug development.
Establishing a Professional Career
While Dr. Niyikiza has spent more than 30 years in his field, his academic background is equally remarkable. Dr. Niyikiza received a Master of Science in statistics and applied economics from the African Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics, followed by earning a Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics and statistics from Indiana University Bloomington. His years in higher education helped provide Dr. Niyikiza with the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue his passions.
Currently, Dr. Niyikiza serves as the founder and executive chairman of LEAF4Life Inc., which he has held since 2018. In this position, he evaluates large, complex systems used for space research and aircraft design while also furthering his scientific research for medicine development strategies for cancer. His expertise in both mathematics and stochastic processes has proved invaluable in his professional journey.
In addition to Dr. Niyikiza's primary role at LEAF4Life Inc., he also serves as chief executive officer of L.E.A.F. Pharmaceuticals, which he founded in 2014. Previous professional experiences include his time as the executive vice president of development at Merrimack from 2009 to 2014, where he was instrumental in advancing the company's oncology pipeline. Before his time at Merrimack, Dr. Niyikiza served as vice president and medicine development leader at GlaxoSmithKline from 2005 to 2009.
Dr. Niyikiza's early professional experience includes significant contributions at Eli Lilly and Company, where he was a Lilly research fellow and global oncology pharmacogenomics leader from 1993 to 2005 and served as a scientist at Syntex Corporation from 1991 to 1993.
Professional Achievements
Dr. Niyikiza's contributions to the field have earned him several accolades, including the Health Care Innovator Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2016, Scientist of the Year by the Wall Street Journal and an Innovation Award for a "New Class of Drugs for Cancer" from Greater Philadelphia. Throughout his extensive career, he has been recognized for his groundbreaking work in cancer research and treatment, as well as for developing medical drugs that have become integral to cancer treatments across the globe. Dr. Niyikiza is most proud of bringing six drugs to market for cancer patients, which included 17 approved indications from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union.
Dr. Niyikiza is also an active member of various industry-related organizations, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the C-Change National Forum. He credits much of his success to his upbringing in Rwanda particularly the determination instilled in him by his mother to stay healthy and do the right thing. Driven by the passion for supporting others and using his skills to benefit humankind, Dr. Niyikiza believes that the key to success lies in focusing one's effort on uplifting others and contributing positively to society.
In the future, Dr. Niyikiza hopes to develop new medications for life-threatening conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. He also envisions developing a drug with anti-aging properties to help people age more gracefully while retaining strength, leaning into his interest in spices and their impact on human lifespans.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who
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