Sheldon Saul Hendler, Ph.D., M.D., FACP, FACN, FAIC, (12 May 1936 – 12 November 2012) was an American scientist, physician and musician. He is recognized as one of the leading authorities on micro nutrition, human physiology and the impact of diet and lifestyle upon health and disease and was known for his ability to customize treatments for his patients.

Early life and education

Hendler was born in Brooklyn, New York, and later lived and worked in New York City, New York and San Diego, California. He attended the

Boys High School Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice of ...

in Brooklyn and later went on to

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, where he studied for a bachelor's degree and later a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Thereafter he conducted his post-doctoral studies at University of California San Diego’s Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

Work and medical research

During his Ph.D. research work, Hendler made seminal discoveries on the structure of the nucleosome and contributed to the development of the first antiviral drugs. During the early phases of the AIDS crisis, Hendler had one of the largest AIDS practices in California and was a prominent member of the San Diego Community Research Group. Out of this work he developed special approaches to treating HIV infection. Hendler pioneered a new level of scientific rigor in the field of nutritional science. Lecturer, educator, physician and scientific consultant, Dr. Hendler has sat on the Scientific Advisory Board of

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, the Pharmacy Nutrition Advisory Board of the

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and the US Olympic Science and Nutrition Subcommittee. As a practicing internist, Hendler applied his encyclopedic knowledge of biochemistry to address the most profound mysteries of human metabolism to advance therapeutic options in patient care. Among his many achievements was the world's first description and biochemical characterization of an entirely new human disease, Elastoderma, described by Hendler and colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985. Hendler helped found the Medical School at Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, and chaired their first Department of Biochemistry. Thereafter Hendler returned to complete his M.D. at UCSD and his medical residency at

Scripps Mercy Hospital Scripps Mercy Hospital is a private Catholic hospital located in San Diego, California. Founded in 1890, it is the oldest hospital in San Diego County and has campuses in Chula Vista and Hillcrest. The hospital has 700 acute-care-licensed beds ...

, San Diego. Later, he was affiliated with UCSD as a clinical professor of medicine.

Writing and publications

Hendler was prolific researcher and writer and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts dealing with biochemistry and medicine. * ''The Complete Guide to Anti-Aging Nutrients'' (1986) * ''The Oxygen Breakthrough: 30 Days to an Illness-Free Life'' (1989) * ''The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia'' (1990), * ''The Purification Prescription'' (1991) * ''The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia'' (1991) * ''The Purification Prescription'' (1994) * ''PDR for Nutritional Supplements'' (2001), He was also the founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Medicinal Food

Music

Hendler was an accomplished musician and concert-level jazz trumpet player. He composed the original musical score for the acclaimed 1973 television series ''The Ascent of Man'' by Jacob Bronowski.

Death

Hendler died on 12 November 2012, and is survived by his wife Joyce Marilyn Hendler and their son, Ross Hendler. He was predeceased by their other son, Seth Hendler.

References