Dr. Brian Leyland-Jones, 76, passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2026.  The son of Reginald Jones and Winifred Leyland of Telford, England. Brian was born in Telford, England on June 20, 1949.

Brian Leyland-Jones was a leader and giant in cancer research and patient advocacy worldwide. Dr. Leyland-Jones held biochemistry, medical, and doctoral degrees from the University of London. Following residency training at St. Mary's, Hammersmith, Brompton, St. Bartholomew's and London Hospitals, he completed a clinical pharmacology fellowship at Cornell University and a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He then joined the academic staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Hospitals with a special research interest in Early Phase clinical, clinical pharmacological and biomarker evaluation of many anticancer compounds, including the platinum and anthracycline analogs in use today. In 1983, he moved to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to head the Developmental Chemotherapy section. During his time with the NCI, he was responsible for the overall development of approximately 70 anti-cancer compounds in various stages of transition from in-vitro screening to Phase III clinical trials, including overseeing the early development of paclitaxel in Phase 1 and 2 trials.

Dr. Leyland-Jones served as the director of two major cancer centers. From 1990 to 2000, he served as founding chair of Oncology and Director of the McGill University Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Montreal, Canada. He recruited and built a broad multifaceted cancer center, including a robust cross-hospital clinical trials enterprise, with deep clinical pharmacologic and biomarker support. Dr. Leyland-Jones continued as the Minda de Gunzberg Chair in Oncology and professor of medicine at McGill University for 7 additional years, focusing on the development and biomarker strategies of several of the new targeted oncologic agents.

He joined Emory University in 2007. As Director of the Winship Cancer Center and Associate Vice-President of Health Sciences, Dr. Leyland-Jones led the Center to obtain National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Designation, the first in the State of Georgia, and for the first time in 30 years.

Dr. Leyland-Jones was instrumental in building the Genomics Medicine Program at the Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he was the Vice President of Molecular and Experimental Medicine from 2014-2019.   Dr. Leyland-Jones' principal academic contributions have been in the fields of anticancer therapy development, the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenetics of oncological clinical trials, the translation of preclinical models into the clinic, biomarker endpoints in Phase I/II clinical trials, and screening and mechanistic studies of novel targeted and chemotherapeutic anticancer agents.

He was also a Visiting Professor at Stanford University and a Harvard alumnus (HBS Managing Health Care Delivery, prepared to be a Corporate Director- Board Governance and PLD35).

Dr. Leyland-Jones was the recipient of numerous research grants, and served as principal, co-principal and co-investigator on more than 100 clinical studies. He authored and co-authored more than 246 peer-reviewed articles and book contributions, 25 books and book chapters, 425 abstracts and 35 patents.  He had a robust speaking and private consulting practice that took him all over the world.

He was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honors, including being presented with the 2021 McGill University Lifetime Achievement award as well as being awarded the Cheadle Gold Medal at graduation. He was a recipient of grants from the NCI (P30), NCIC, DOD Breast Cancer Center of Excellence Award and FDA (Orphan). Dr. Leyland-Jones was also a recipient of PMA Clinical Fellow and Faculty Awards and was a 2007 Georgia Research Alliance, Eminent Scholar and a Georgia Cancer Coalition, Distinguished Cancer Scholar.

Brian served as the Director and Chief Scientific Officer of The Darwin Foundation and the Chief Medical Officer, Scientific Advisory Board Member and Treasurer for the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR). He also served as the Chief Medical Officer of OTraces, Xylonix and the N OF 1 Mission, collectively devoted to the implementation of prevention and cure of malignancy globally.  He sat on several national and international boards including the Asian Foundation for Cancer Research (AFCR), NED Biosystems, Non-Pareil, Ratio and was Director Emeritus for the WIN Consortium.  Dr. Leyland-Jones was past Chief of Developmental Therapeutics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

He founded or co-founded several companies including Xanthus Pharmaceuticals Ltd (exit to Antisoma), AKESOgen Inc. (exit to Tempus), Viviphi, Parthen and PITO.

Dr. Leyland-Jones was best known for leading major changes in breast cancer clinical trials and treatments, as well as his ongoing focus on how genomics plays a vital role in the fight against breast cancer. His legacy will continue to shape the field and the lives of patients around the world.

Brian is survived by his wife, Melissa; stepchildren, Abigail (Thurman Ray) Myers, III, and Jonathan Maxwell "Max" Anderson and one grandchild, Myron Wyatt Myers.

Surviving families in the United Kingdom are Cousins, Beverley and Anita; Anita's husband, Brian, Anita and Brian's children: Richard and Catherine; and their Grandchildren: Rosemary and Hartley Leyland-Jones, who proudly continue the Leyland-Jones name.

Condolence cards can be mailed to 308 West Devitt Drive, Sioux Falls South Dakota, 57108.