Murugappan Ramanathan Jr.

Dr. Murugappan Ramanathan Jr. (Murray) is a Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Professor of Neurological Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, serving as Vice Director of Clinical Operations for the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. He oversees care delivery across nine ambulatory clinics and five hospitals within Johns Hopkins Medicine, maintaining a high-volume clinical practice at Johns Hopkins Health Care and Surgery Center in Bethesda and Suburban Hospital.

Education

• Undergraduate: Yale University
• Medical Degree: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
• Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
• Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Minimally Invasive Skull Base Surgery

Research Focus

Dr. Ramanathan's NIH-funded research pioneered the connection between air pollution (PM2.5) and chronic rhinosinusitis. His lab developed a novel mouse model demonstrating how pollutants induce eosinophilic inflammation and epithelial barrier dysfunction in sinonasal tissue. Key investigations center on Nrf2 antioxidant pathways as therapeutic targets and air pollution-induced epigenomic changes in sinonasal epithelium, bridging environmental health with molecular mechanisms of disease.

Publication Trends

His 110+ publications reveal consistent focus on environmental triggers of sinonasal disease, with recent work emphasizing Nrf2 pathway modulation to reverse pollutant-induced damage. Articles integrate molecular biology, immunology, and environmental health, establishing foundational knowledge for therapeutic interventions in chronic rhinosinusitis through epithelial barrier repair and inflammation control.

Scientific Recognition

• Top Doctor honors from Washingtonian (2022-2024), Bethesda (2019-2025), Castle Connolly (2019-2025), and Northern Virginia Magazines (2022-2025)
• Prince Edmund Fowler Award for Outstanding Basic Science Thesis (Triological Society)
• American Rhinologic Society Basic Science Research Award
• Alpha Omega Alpha and Triological Society Fellow distinctions
• Directors Award from National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders

Clinical Leadership and Mentorship

As chair of the CORE Grants General Section for the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Ramanathan evaluates national research proposals while mentoring trainees in his NIH-funded lab. His clinical operations leadership focuses on optimizing multidisciplinary care pathways through systematic process improvements across Johns Hopkins' ENT network.

Research Infrastructure

The Ramanathan Lab collaborates with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health using state-of-the-art air pollution exposure systems. This multidisciplinary team combines otolaryngology, public health, molecular biology, and immunology expertise to translate basic science discoveries about PM2.5 effects into clinical applications for sinonasal disease management.