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.
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 in Brooklyn and later went on to Columbia University, where he studied for a bachelor's degree and later a Ph.D. in biochemistry.[1] Thereafter he conducted his post-doctoral studies at University of California San Diego’s Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.
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 Archer Daniels Midland, the Pharmacy Nutrition Advisory Board of the AARP 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,[2] 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, San Diego. Later, he was affiliated with UCSD as a clinical professor of medicine.
Hendler was prolific researcher and writer and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts dealing with biochemistry and medicine.
He was also the founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Medicinal Food[9]
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.
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.