NEOUCOM | Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy

Werner J. Geldenhuys, B.Pharm., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Northeastern Ohio Universities
College of Pharmacy
4209 St. Rt. 44, P.O. Box 95
Rootstown, Ohio 44272-0095
Office: C-134
Phone: (330) 325-6474
Fax: (330) 325-5936
Email: wgeldenh@neoucom.edu

Dr. Geldenhuys graduated from Potchefstroom University, South Africa (now North-West University) in 1999 with a pharmacy degree. He then went on to receive a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry (2004) after completing a Masters Degree in medicinal chemistry (2002), both from North-West University.

After graduation, he was a post-doctoral research scientist at Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Pharmacy (TTUHSC) in Amarillo, TX, where he studied iron uptake into neuronal cells via the L-type calcium channel. Afterwards, he worked in the blood-brain barrier field, also at TTUHSC, where he investigated the effects of cigarette smoke on the distribution of drugs across the blood-brain barrier.

Education:

2004	Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences, Potchefstroom University (now North-West University), South Africa
2002	M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Potchefstroom University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
1999	B.Pharm., Potchefstroom University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

Professional Experience:

2008-present	Graduate Faculty Member (Neuroscience and Pharmacology), Kent State University, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent, OH Director, Computational and modeling lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy, Rootstown, OH
2007-present	Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy, Rootstown, OH
2004–2006	Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX

Research Interests:

Drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and stroke, by synthesizing organic compounds, using pharmacological bio-assays, as well as in silico computer-assisted drug design (CADD) techniques. The in silico methods include: 2D and 3D (e.g. CoMFA, CoMSIA, multiple linear regression) QSAR, pharmachphore modeling, virtual screening, cheminformatics techniques (e.g. variable selection for molecular descriptors), homology modeling (with some bioinformatics techniques) and docking studies of drug-protein. Additionally, open-source programming/software is also of interest.

Teaching:

Pharmaceutics with lab: In this course the Pharm.D. candidates are introduced to the different dosage forms used in clinical practice, as well as the physical-chemical pharmacy background. Additionally, the students are taught to interpret a prescription, as well as how to compound a prescription. In the lab, the students are engaged in preparing compounded medications, such as suspensions, capsules, PLO-gels, creams, ointments and troches, to name a few. Veterinary compounding is also discussed and shown in the lab. Another component of the course is the introduction to over-the-counter (OTC) or non-prescription medications, which allows the students to suggest an appropriate treatment for a OTC-specific symptom in the pharmacy. Course director, course length is 143 hours.

Nutraceuticals: In this course, the Pharm.D. students are introduced to aspects of homeopathy, as well as natural product pharmacology, such as ginseng. Additionally, vitamins, supplements (e.g. chondriotin, glucosamine) and sports supplements are introduced. Assistant course director.

Dr. Geldenhuys' publication recently listed in PubMed.

Publications:

Geldenhuys, W.J., Lockman, P.R., Philip, A.E., McAfee, J.H., Miller, B.L., McCurdy, C.R. and Allen, D.D. 2005. Inhibition of choline uptake by N-cyclohexylcholine, a high affinity ligand for the choline transporter at the blood-brain barrier. J. Drug. Target. 13, 259-266.

Lockman, P.R., McAfee, G., Geldenhuys, W.J., Van der Schyf, C.J., Abbruscato, T.J., Allen, D.D. 2005. Brain Uptake Kinetics of Nicotine and Cotinine after Chronic Nicotine Exposure. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 314, 636-642.

Geldenhuys, W.J., Lockman,P.R., Nguyen, T.H., Van der Schyf, C.J., Crooks, P.A., Dwoskin, L.P. and Allen, D.D. 2005. 3D-QSAR study of bis-azaaromatic quaternary ammonium analogs at the blood-brain barrier choline transporter. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 13, 4253-4261.

Mdzinarishvili, A., Geldenhuys, W.J., Abbruscato, T.J., Bickel, U., Klein, J., Van der Schyf, C.J. 2005. NGP1-01, a lipophilic polycyclic cage amine, is neuroprotective in focal ischemia. Neurosci. Lett. 383, 49-53.

Dheyongera, J.P., Geldenhuys, W.J., Dekker, T.G., Matsabisa, M.G. and Van der Schyf, C.J. 2005. Antimalarial activity of thioacridone compounds related to the acronycine alkaloid. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 13, 1653-1659.

Dheyongera, J.P., Geldenhuys, W.J., Dekker, T.G. and Van der Schyf, C.J. 2005. Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular modeling of novel thioacridone derivatives related to the anticancer alkaloid acronycine. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 13, 689-698.

Geldenhuys, W.J., Malan, S.F., Bloomquist, J.R., Marchand, A.P. and Van der Schyf, C.J. 2005. Pharmacology and structure-activity relationships of bioactive polycyclic cage compounds: A focus on pentacycloundecane derivatives. Med. Res. Rev. 25, 21-48.

Lockman, P. R., McAfee, J.H., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Allen, D.D. 2004. Cation transport specificity at the blood–brain barrier. Neurochem. Res. 29, 2245–2250

Geldenhuys, W.J., Lockman, P.R., McAfee, J.H., Fitzpatrick, K.T., Van der Schyf, C.J. and Allen, D.D. 2004. Molecular modeling studies on the active binding site of the blood-brain barrier choline transporter. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 14, 3085-3092.

Geldenhuys, W.J., Malan, S.F., Murugesan, T., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Bloomquist, J.R. 2004. Synthesis and biological evaluation of pentacyclo[5.4.0.02,6.03,10.05,9]undecane derivatives as therapeutic agents in Parkinson's disease. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 12, 1799-1806.