معرفی
Werner Geldenhuys, PhD, is Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Pharmacy, holder of the Douglas Glover Endowed Chair, and joint Professor in the WVU School of Medicine’s Department of Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. He is also a faculty member of the WVU Cancer Institute.
Education:
- Bachelor of Pharmacy, Potchefstroom University (now North-West University), South Africa, 1999
- Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry, North-West University, 2002
- Doctor of Philosophy in Medicinal Chemistry/Neuroscience, North-West University, 2004
- Post-doctoral research, Texas Tech School of Pharmacy
Research Interests:
Dr Geldenhuys leads a translational program that integrates medicinal chemistry, mitochondrial biology and nanomedicine to discover neuroprotective agents. A central focus is the mitochondrial outer-membrane protein mitoNEET (CISD1), which his group has validated as a druggable target for Parkinson’s disease using small organic molecules, peptide therapeutics and nanoparticle delivery systems. Additional programs explore blood-brain-barrier transport mechanisms, lipoprotein-lipase modulation for cardiometabolic disorders, and novel kinase activators discovered by high-content zebrafish screening.
Publication Profile:
With >170 peer-reviewed articles since 2003, his recent work demonstrates sustained productivity in three converging areas: (i) mechanistic elucidation of mitoNEET-driven mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinsonian models, (ii) design and in vivo validation of nanoparticle formulations that ferry neurotherapeutics across the blood-brain barrier, and (iii) structure–activity driven optimization of small molecules targeting oxidative stress, TRPC channels and lipoprotein lipase for neurodegeneration, arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
Honours & Awards:
- Douglas Glover Endowed Chair, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy
Grants, Students & Teams:
Dr Geldenhuys has continuously served as Principal Investigator on NIH R01 and R21 awards, NSF grants, and foundation grants focusing on mitochondrial drug targets and CNS delivery. He mentors graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Neuroscience PhD programs, directing an active laboratory within the WVU Biomedical Research Center (BMRC).
