Henk-Jan Guchelaar

Henk-Jan Guchelaar is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and the Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (LACDR), part of Leiden University's Faculty of Science. He holds dual appointments across the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science, reflecting his interdisciplinary focus in clinical pharmacy and translational research. As Chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology at LUMC, he leads research in personalized therapeutics and pharmacogenomics. He directs Leiden University’s Translational Drug Discovery and Development research profile and coordinates the EU-funded Horizon 2020 project Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics (UPGx), advancing pre-emptive pharmacogenomic testing.

His education includes a Pharmacy degree from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, followed by specialization as a hospital pharmacist and clinical pharmacologist. He has authored over 540 peer-reviewed articles (H-index=51) and co-developed the Master of Pharmacy program at LUMC. His leadership roles include membership in the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board, the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences’ Council for Medical Sciences, and former vice-chairmanship of the Dutch Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmacy (NVKFB).

Research interests focus on optimizing drug therapy through pharmacogenetic insights, particularly in oncology and personalized medicine. Notable projects include genotype-guided dosing of fluoropyrimidines and tamoxifen metabolism studies in breast cancer. Awards include the 2018 PGRN Featured Investigator and NVKFB Education Award.

Professional activities include advisory roles for the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board and EU consortia. He has led national and international initiatives, such as the CYPTAM study on tamoxifen pharmacogenetics, and founded the Leiden Network for Personalised Therapeutics (LNPT). His work bridges clinical practice, academia, and policy to improve drug safety and efficacy through precision approaches.