Werner J. Geldenhuys, BPharm, PhD, graduated from Potchefstroom University, South Africa (now North-West University) in 1999 with a pharmacy degree. He then received a PhD in medicinal chemistry (2004) after completing a master’s degree in medicinal chemistry, both from North-West University. His graduate studies focused on developing novel neuroprotective compounds for use in Parkinson’s disease. After graduation, he was a post-doctoral research scientist at Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Pharmacy (TTUHSC) in Amarillo, Texas, studying neuronal iron uptake pathways in Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, he also developed computational models to predict the blood–brain barrier distribution of CNS drugs. Currently, he is an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Rootstown, OH. His research group is focused on the development of novel therapeutics which can slow down the disease progression of Parkinson’s disease through the targeting of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.
