Developing novel nanometer and micrometer sized drug delivery systems. Application of layer-by-layer selfassembly, dendrimers and calixarenes in drug delivery and drug solubilization.

Background: Melgardt received his degrees in pharmacy, pharmaceutics and  higher education from the North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. After serving on the faculties of North-West University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a sabbatical year at the University of Iowa, he joined the Wisconsin faculty in 2005. He is an extraordinary professor within the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University, South Africa. He is an associate editor of AAPS PhramSciTech and Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Outstanding Professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and in 2012 he was elected as a fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).

Professional Interests: His research focuses on determining the pharmaceutical science involved in developing an understanding of the pharmaceutics, engineering, and materials sciences principles underlying drug delivery technologies and applying these principles to the design, development, and manufacture of improved drug delivery systems. Especially, developing innovative nano and micro particulate drug delivery systems for treating and preventing communicable and chronic diseases. He is the author or co-author of more than 150 peer reviewed publications and have presented his research either orally or as posters more than 100 times at meetings all over the world.

Education:

• BPharm 1986 Pharmacy - North-West University, South Africa
• MSc 1988 Pharmacy - North-West University, South Africa
• PhD 1993 Pharmaceutics - North-West University, South Africa
• PgDip 1996 Higher Education - North-West University, South Africa

• STRYDOM, S.J., OTTO, D.P., STIEGER, N., AUCAMP, M.E., LIEBENBERG, W. , DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2014. Self-assembled macromolecular nanocoatings to stabilize and control drug release from nanoparticles. Powder Technology, 256: 470-476.
• ZHANG, S-W., YU, L., HUANG, J., HUSSAIN, M.A., DERDOUR, L., QIAN, F. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2014. A method to evaluate the effect of contact with excipients on the surface crystallization of amorphous drugs.  AAPSPharmSciTech, 15(6): 1516-1526.
• ROSE, W.E., OTTO, D.P., AUCAMP, M.E., MILLER, Z. , DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2015. Prevention of biofilm formation by methacrylate-based copolymer films loaded with rifampin, clarithromycin, doxycycline alone or in combination. Pharmaceutical research, 32(1): 61-73.
• OTTO, D.P. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2015. Differences in physicochemical properties to consider in the design, evaluation and choice between microparticles and nanoparticles for drug delivery. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 12(5):763-777. [Editor’s pick for May 2015 issue]
• LVOV, Y.M., DE VILLIERS, M.M. FAKHRULLIN, R.F. 2016. The application of halloysite tubule nanoclay in drug delivery. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 13(7): 977-986.
• OTTO, D.P. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2017. Solid state concerns during drug discovery and development: thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of crystal polymorphism and the special cases of concomitant polymorphs, co-crystals and glasses. Current Drug Discovery Technologies, 14(2) 72-105. [Editor’s choice for May 2017 issue]
• YENDLURI, R., OTTO, D.P., DE VILLIERS, M.M*., VINOKUROV, V. LVOV, Y.M. 2017. Application of halloysite clay nanotubes as a pharmaceutical excipient.  International journal of pharmaceutics. 521(1-2): 267-273.
• YENDLURI, R., LVOV, Y.M., DE VILLIERS, M.M., VINOKUROV, V., NAUMENKO, E., TARASOVA, E. FAKHRULLIN, R. 2017. Paclitaxel encapsulated in halloysite clay nanotubes for drug delivery. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 106: 3131-3139.
• OTTO, D.P. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2018. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as a pharmaceutical excipient. Are we there yet? Journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 107: 75-83.
• OTTO, D.P. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2018. All-atomistic molecular dynamics (AA-MD) studies and pharmacokinetic performance of PAMAM-dendrimer-furosemide delivery systems. International journal of pharmaceutics. 547(1–2): 545-555.
• OTTO, D.P., COMBRINCK, J., OTTO, A., TIEDT, L.R. DE VILLIERS, M.M.* 2018.  Dissipative particle dynamics investigation of the transport of salicylic acid through a simulated in vitro skin permeation model. Pharmaceuticals, 11(4), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph11040134