Murugesan Palaniappan

Murugesan Palaniappan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology & Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, and Group Leader in the Center for Drug Discovery. He also serves as a Member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on drug discovery methodologies, particularly using DNA-encoded chemical libraries, and addresses challenges in breast cancer therapy and endocrine-resistant diseases.

Dr. Palaniappan holds a PhD from the University of Madras, India (2007), and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan (2011). His professional interests span breast cancer therapeutics, estrogen receptor signaling, and innovative drug development strategies.

His research emphasizes the design of novel inhibitors targeting estrogen receptor mutants, leveraging DNA-encoded libraries for high-throughput screening. Key areas include overcoming endocrine resistance in metastatic breast cancer, developing male contraception via kinase inhibition, and combating antibiotic resistance through enzyme inhibitor discovery. His work bridges chemical biology, molecular endocrinology, and translational oncology.

Dr. Palaniappan has secured grants including $769,179 from CPRIT (2022-2025) for next-generation estrogen receptor inhibitors and $160,000 from NIH/NCI (2021-2023) for precision drugs targeting Y537S mutant ER.

He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in the Center for Drug Discovery and contributes to initiatives in the Dan L Duncan Cancer Center. His lab integrates synthetic chemistry, molecular biology, and computational approaches to advance drug discovery pipelines.