Cornelis J. (Neels) Van der Schyf, B.Pharm., M.Sc., D.Sc., DTE
Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Pharmacy
Professor of Neurobiology, College of Medicine
Dr. Van der Schyf is chair of and professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Pharmacy, and professor of neurobiology in the College of Medicine. Before joining Northeast Ohio Medical University, Van der Schyf was associate professor and graduate program advisor for pharmaceutical sciences at TTUHSC School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas. He earned his B.Pharm., M.Sc., D.Sc. (Ph.D.), and DTE degrees from Potchefstroom University in South Africa, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Connecticut, during which time he did research at the Francis Bitter National Magnet Lab at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.
Van der Schyf has published more than 110 peer-reviewed research and review articles, more than 200 abstracts and presentations - many of these as invited international keynote speaker; 7 book chapters, several reports to industry, and journal editorials. He holds 14 patents. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biophysical Chemistry and is or has been a member of the editorial advisory boards for BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology, Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, Molecules, International Journal of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Research, The Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal, Open Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Neurotoxicity Research, and Pharmaceutics & Novel Drug Delivery Systems: Current Research, and serves on the International Advisory Board of the South African Journal of Chemistry. He has been an invited guest editor for the January 2009 issue of the journal Neurotherapeutics. As visiting professor in Australia (University of Queensland, Brisbane), Belgium (FUNDP, Namur), USA (Virginia Tech), and currently as Emeritus Extraordinary Professor at Northwest University (South Africa), he remains active internationally.
Besides serving or having served ad hoc and as a chartered member on several NIH Study Sections and many other national and international granting agencies, he is a member of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, and has received several teaching and research honors, including "Teacher of the Year" and "Most Cited Paper" awards, the APSSA Upjohn Achievement Award and South Africa’s highest honor in drug discovery research, the FARMOVS Prize for Pharmacology and Drug Development. Dr. Van der Schyf is also the recipient of the 2010 Olson/Blair Award for Administrative Excellence.
Education
1990: Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education, Potchefstroom University
1986/7: Postdoc, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA (Prof. Alexandros Makriyannis)
1983: D.Sc. (eq. Ph.D.), in organic medicinal chemistry/drug design. Potchefstroom University, South Africa
1981: M.Sc. (Pharm.), in organic medicinal chemistry. Potchefstroom University, South Africa
1978: B.Pharm., Potchefstroom University, South Africa
Professional Experience
2010: Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Pharmacy, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
2006: Professor and Chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Professor of Neurobiology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Rootstown, Ohio, USA; and Graduate Faculty Member (Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience), Kent State University, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent, Ohio, USA
2002-06: Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Graduate Program Advisor (since 2003), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University, Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA (tenured 2006)
1997-02: Research Associate Professor, Peters Center for the Study of Parkinson's Disease, Department of Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
1995-97: Senior Research Scientist, Peters Center for the Study of Parkinson's Disease, Department of Chemistry and Adjunct Faculty Member, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
1990-95: Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and Director: Drug Metabolism Research Unit, Potchefstroom University (currently North West University), Potchefstroom, South Africa
1985-89: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Potchefstroom University, Potchefstroom, South Africa (tenured 1986)
1986-87: Postdoctoral Research Scientist (as visiting Assistant Professor), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
1984-84: Senior Lecturer (eq. US Assistant Professor), Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
1980-84: Research Scientist (later Senior Research Scientist and Project Leader), Synthesis Group, Central Research Laboratory, Noristan Ltd., Pretoria, South Africa
1979-80: Research Assistant, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Potchefstroom University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Visiting/Honorary Professorships
2010– : Emeritus Extraordinary Professor, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
1997-2009: Extraordinary Professor, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
2000: Visiting Professor, Laboratoire de Chimie Moléculaire Structurale, Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, Namur, Belgium
1995: Visiting Professor, Department of Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1993-1993: Visiting Professor and Senior Research Scientist, Peters Center for the study of Parkinson's Disease, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
Research Interests
- Chemical syntheses, molecular modeling and pharmacology of novel drugs, currently focused on polycyclic multiple mechanistic neuroprotective drugs, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, smoking cessation and tobacco use prevention, thioacridone anticancer and antimalarial agents, and phlorophenone antimicrobial compounds.
- Novel treatment strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke.
- Creative teaching and learning strategies in tertiary education.
Recent Publications
Dr. Van der Schyf's publications listed in PubMed
(these are the more biologically, less chemically oriented papers)
Papers published or in press, 2006-present:
Geldenhuys, W.J., Novotny, N.A., Malan, S.F., and Van der Schyf, C.J. 3D-QSAR and docking studies of pentacycloundecylamines at the sigma-1 (σ1) receptor. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2013, in press, DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.01.069.
Geldenhuys, W.J. and Van der Schyf, C.J. Designing drugs with multi-target activity: the next step in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders". Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2013, 8, 115-129.
Geldenhuys, W.J. and Van der Schyf, C.J. Rationally designed multi-targeted agents against neurodegenerative diseases. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2013, in press.
Al-Baghdadi, O.B., Prater, N.I., Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J. Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by derivatives of piperine, an alkaloid from the pepper plant Piper nigrum, for possible use in Parkinson's disease. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2012, 22, 7183-7188.
Lockman JA, Geldenhuys WJ, Jones-Higgins MR, Patrick JD, Allen DD, Van der Schyf, CJ. NGP1-01, a multi-targeted polycyclic cage amine, attenuates brain endothelial cell death in iron overload conditions. Brain Research, 2012, 1489, 133-139.
Darvesh, A.S., Carroll, R.T., Bishayee, A., Novotny, N.A., Geldenhuys, W.J., Van der Schyf, C.J. Curcumin and neurodegenerative diseases: a perspective. Expert Opinion on Investigative Drugs, 2012, 21, 1123-1140.
Joubert, J., Geldenhuys, W.J., Van der Schyf, C.J., Oliver, D.W., Kruger, H.G., Govender, T., and Malan, S.F. Polycyclic cage structures as lipophilic scaffolds for neuro-active drugs. ChemMedChem, 2012, 7, 375-384.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Funk, M.O., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Carroll, R.T. Scaffold hopping to identify novel monoamine oxidase B inhibitors. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2012, 22, 1380-1383.
Lockman, J.A., Geldenhuys, W.J., Bohn, K.A., DeSilva, S.F., Allen, D.D., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Differential effect of nimodipine in attenuating iron-induced toxicity in brain- and blood-brain barrier-associated cell types. Neurochemical Research, 2012, 37, 134–142.
Geldenhuys, W.J., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Role of serotonin in Alzheimer’s disease: A new therapeutic target? CNS Drugs, 2011, 25, 765-781.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Youdim, M.B.H., Carroll, R.T., and Van der Schyf, C.J. The Emergence of Designed Multiple Ligands for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Progress in Neurobiology, 2011, 94, 347-359.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Ko, K.S., Stinnett, H., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Lim, M.H. Identification of Multifunctional Small Molecule-Based Reversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. MedChemComm, 2011, 1099-1103.
Terre'blance, G., Heyer, N., Bergh, J.J., Mienie, L.J., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Harvey, B.H. The styrene metabolite, phenylglyoxylic acid, induces striatal-motor toxicity in the rat: influence of dose escalation/reduction over time. Neurotoxicity Research, 2011, 20, 97-101.
Darvesh, A.S., Carroll, R.T., Geldenhuys, W.J., Gudelsky, G.A., Klein, J., Meshul, C.K., and Van der Schyf, C.J. In vivo brain microdialysis: advances in neuropsychopharmacoloy and drug discovery. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2011, 6, 109-127.
Geldenhuys, W.J., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Role of serotonin in Alzheimer's disease: A new therapeutic target? CNS Drugs, 2011, 25, 1-17.
Van der Schyf, C.J. The use of multi-target drugs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2011, 4, 293-298.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Youdim, M.B.H., Carroll, R.T., and Van der Schyf, C.J. The Emergence of Designed Multiple Liqands for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Progress in Neurobiology, 2011, 94, 347-359.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Darvesh, A.S., Funk, M.O., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Carroll, R.T. Identification of novel monoamine oxidase-B Inhibitors by structure-based virtual screening. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010, 20, 5295-5298.
Darvesh, A.S., Carroll, R.T., Bishayee, A., Geldenhuys, W.J. and Van der Schyf, C.J. Oxidative stress and Alzheimer's disease: dietary polyphenols as potential therapeutic agents. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2010, 10, 729-745.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Manda, V.K., Mittapalli, R.K., Van der Schyf, C.J., Crooks, P.A., Dwoskin, L.P., Allen, D.D., and Lockman, P.R. Predictive screening model for potential vector-mediated transport of cationic substrates at the blood-brain barrier choline transporter. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010, 20, 870-877.
Paulson, J.R., Yang, T., Selvaraj, P.K., Mdzinarishvili, A., Van der Schyf, C.J., Klein, J., Bickel, U., and Abbruscato, T.J. Nicotine exacerbates brain edema during in vitro and in vivo focal ischemic conditions. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2010, 332, 371-379.
Geldenhuys, W.J. and Van der Schyf, C.J. The serotonin 5-HT6 receptor: a viable drug target for treating cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's Disease. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2009, 9, 1073-1085.
Van der Schyf, C.J., and Geldenhuys, W.J. Polycyclic compounds: ideal drug scaffolds for the design of multiple mechanism drugs? Neurotherapeutics, 2009, 6, 175-186.
Petzer, J.P., Castagnoli, N. Jr., Schwarzschild, M.A., Chen, J-F., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Dual-Target-Directed Drugs that Block Monoamine Oxidase B and Adenosine A2A Receptors for Parkinson’s Disease. Neurotherapeutics, 2009, 6, 141-151.
Geldenhuys, W.J., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Serotonin 5-HT6 receptor antagonists for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2008, 8, 1035-1048.
Hau, J. Mdzinarishvili, A., Abbruscato, T.J., Klein, J., Geldenhuys, W.j., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Bickel, U. Neuroprotection in mice by NGP1-01 after transient forcal brain ischemia. Brain Research, 2008, 1196, 113-120.
Youdim, M.B.H., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Why should we use multifunctional neuroprotective and neurorestorative drugs for Parkinson's disease? Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 2007, 13, S281-S291.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Mandel, S., Geldenhuys, W.J., Amit, T., Avramovich, Y., Zheng, H., Fridkin, M., Gal, S., Weinreb, O., Bar-Am, O., Sagi, Y., and Youdim, M.B.H. Novel multifunctional anti-Alzheimer drugs with various CNS neurotransmitter targets and neuroprotective moieties. Current Alzheimer Research, 2007, 4, 522-536.
Gaasch, J.A., Geldenhuys, W.J., Lockman, P.R., Allen, D.D., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Voltage-gated calcium channels provide an alternate route for iron uptake in neuronal cell cultures. Neurochemical Research, 2007, 32, 1686-1693.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional neuroprotective-neurorescue drugs for Parkinson's Disease. Future Neurology, 2007, 2, 411-423.
Youdim, M.B.H., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Magic bullets or novel multimodal drugs with various targets for Parkinson's Disease? Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2007, 6, iii-vi.
Gaasch, J.A., Lockman, P.R., Geldenhuys, W.J., Allen, D.D., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Brain Iron Toxicity: Differential responses of astrocytes, neurons, and endothelial cells. Neurochemical Research, 2007, 32, 1196-1208.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Malan, S.F., Bloomquist, J.R., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Structure-activity Relationships of Pentacycloundecylamines at the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2007, 15, 1525-1532.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Hayes, M., Malan, S.F., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Allen, D.D. Receptor surface models in the classroom. Introducing molecular modeling to students in a 3D world. Journal of Chemical Education, 2007, 84, 979-982.
Geldenhuys, W.J., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Triquinane-based compounds as possible serotonin 5-HT6 receptor antagonists for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Medical Hypotheses, 2007, 68, 81-86.
Kumar, V., Mdzinarishvili, A., Kiewert, C., Abbruscato, T., Bickel, U., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Klein, J. NMDA receptor-antagonistic properties of hyperforin, a constituent of St. John's wort. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2006, 102, 47-54.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional Drugs with Different CNS Targets for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Journal of Neurochemistry, 2006, 99, 1033-1048.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Gal, S., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional neuroprotective drugs targeting monoamine oxidase inhibition, iron chelation, adenosine receptors, cholinergic, and glutamatergic action for neurodegenerative diseases. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, 2006, 15, 873-886.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional neuroprotective drugs for the treatment of cognitive and movement impairment disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Drugs of the Future, 2006, 31, 447-460.
Frederick, R., Dumont, W., Ooms, F., Aschenbach, L., Van der Schyf, C.J., Castagnoli, N., Jr., Wouters, J., and Krief, A. Synthesis, structural reassignment and biological activity of type B MAO inhibitors based on the 5H-indeno-[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one core. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2006, 49, 3743-3747.
Lockman, P.R., Gaasch, J., McAfee, G., Abbruscato, T.J., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Allen, D.D. Nicotine exposure does not alter plasma to brain choline transfer. Neurochemical Research, 2006, 31, 503-508.
Kiewert, C., Hartmann, J., Stoll, J., Thekkumkara, T., Van der Schyf, C.J.,* and Klein, J., NGP1-01 is a brain permeable dual blocker of neuronal voltage- and ligand-operated calcium channels. Neurochemical Research, 2006, 31, 395-399.
Geldenhuys, W.J., Gaasch, K.E., Watson, M., Allen, D.D., and Van der Schyf, C.J. Optimizing the use of open-source software applications in drug discovery. Drug Discovery Today, 2006, 11,127-132. Number 12 on Science Direct's "Top 25 Hottest Articles".
Grobler, E., Grobler, A., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Malan, S.F. Effect of Polycyclic Cage Amines on the Transmembrane Potential of Neuronal Cells. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2006, 14, 1176-1181.
Paulson, J.R., Roder, K.E., McAfee, G., Allen, D.D., Van der Schyf, C.J., Abbruscato, T.J. Tobacco smoke chemicals attenuate brain-to-blood potassium transport mediated by the Na,K,2Cl-cotransporter during hypoxia-reoxygenation. Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, 2006, 316, 248-254.
Book Chapters (since 2006)
Discovery of Multi-Target Agents for Neurological Diseases via Ligand Design. Bolognesi, M.L., Melchiorre, C., Van der Schyf, C.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. in: RSC Drug Discovery Series No. 21, Designing Multi-Target Drugs. Edited by: J. Richard Morphy and C. John Harris, 2012, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom, pp. 290-315.
Multimodal Drugs and Their Future for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Van der Schyf, C.J., and Geldenhuys, W.J. in: International Review of Neurobiology, Volume 100: Various Aspects of Monoamine Oxidase and Its Inhibitors. Edited by: Moussa B.H. Youdim and Peter Riederer, 2011, ISBN 10: 0-12-366857-3 Elsevier Limited. Oxford, United Kingdom, pp. 107-125, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-386467-3.00006-6
Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional Neuroprotective Drugs for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. in: Pharmacological Advances and Mechanisms in Alzheimer's Therapeutics. A. Claudio Cuello, M.D., D.Sc., FRSC, ed. 2008, Springer Publishing, New York, NY, pp. 274-295.
Van der Schyf, C.J., Geldenhuys, W.J., and Youdim, M.B.H. Multifunctional drugs: Ladostigil, an anti-Alzheimer drug. in: Medicinal Chemistry of Alzheimer's Disease. Ana Martinez, Ph.D., ed. 2008, Transworld Research Network, Kerala, India, pp. 1-20.
Invited Journal Editorial:
Van der Schyf, C.J. "The use of multi-target drugs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases." Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2011, 4, 293-298.
