Dr. HEMAMALINI MADHUKAR | Cancer Cell Biology | Best Researcher Award
Dr. HEMAMALINI MADHUKAR, Mother Teresa Women’s University, India
Dr. Madhukar Hemamalini is an accomplished Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal. With over five and a half years of dedicated research experience and eight years of teaching, she has made significant contributions to the field of structural and bioorganic chemistry. Her expertise lies in X-ray crystallography, protein-ligand interactions, and the synthesis of supramolecular and pharmaceutical compounds. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Bharathidasan University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship under Prof. H.-K. Fun at Universiti Sains Malaysia. With 234 international publications and a citation index reflecting her research impact, Dr. Hemamalini’s academic presence is both global and influential. Her guidance to 10 M.Phil. and 21 M.Sc. students reflects her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists. She actively contributes to academic committees and has led a UGC Minor Research Project on hydrogen bonding and phase transition.
Publication Profile:
✅ Strengths for the Award:
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Extensive Publication Record
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Over 234 international research publications, primarily in reputed journals such as Journal of Molecular Structure, Molecular Diversity, Russian Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, and IUCrData.
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Research themes include X-ray crystallography, drug-likeness prediction, molecular docking, and biochemical analysis.
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Strong Research Background
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Postdoctoral research in crystallography at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) under a globally respected crystallographer, Prof. H.-K. Fun.
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More than five and a half years of focused research experience in supramolecular and macromolecular chemistry.
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Citation Impact
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Accumulated 228 citations, with a h-index of 12 and i10-index of 8, reflecting a solid impact in her field.
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Mentorship & Teaching
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8 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor.
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Mentored 10 M.Phil. and 21 M.Sc. students — demonstrating her commitment to research training and knowledge dissemination.
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Research Funding
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Successfully secured UGC Minor Research Project funding of ₹5,00,000 for studies on hydrogen bonding and phase transition.
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Academic Service
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Contributed to institutional growth as inspection committee member for women’s colleges, affirming leadership in academic governance.
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⚠️ Areas for Improvement:
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Enhance International Collaboration
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Collaborations beyond Malaysia, particularly with Europe or North America, could increase citation visibility and interdisciplinary reach.
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Diversify Funding Sources
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Apply for major national/international grants (e.g., DST, DBT, SERB, or industry-academic partnerships) for scaling research infrastructure and student involvement.
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Intellectual Property & Innovation
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Translating research into patents, prototypes, or industry consultancies would enhance her research’s practical value and real-world impact.
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Public Engagement and Outreach
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Participation in conferences as keynote speaker, science communication, or popular science articles would further establish her academic persona.
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🎓 Education:
Dr. Madhukar Hemamalini completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry in October 2006 from Bharathidasan University, India, specializing in structural and supramolecular chemistry. Her doctoral research focused on the synthesis and crystallographic analysis of organic compounds, laying a strong foundation for her future work in macromolecular systems. Prior to her doctorate, she obtained her M.Sc. in Chemistry in August 2000 and B.Sc. in Chemistry in August 1998, both from Bharathidasan University. Her academic training has equipped her with a deep understanding of chemical interactions at the molecular level, especially those relevant to drug design, protein-ligand binding, and pharmaceutical solids. Her academic trajectory showcases her longstanding passion for exploring the molecular world through advanced techniques like X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry. Additionally, her exposure to interdisciplinary research at Universiti Sains Malaysia has expanded her global outlook and enriched her research methodologies.
🧪 Experience:
Dr. Hemamalini has a cumulative 13+ years of experience in academia and research. She is currently serving as Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal since March 2015. Her teaching portfolio includes mentoring postgraduate and M.Phil. students, with 21 M.Sc. and 10 M.Phil. students successfully guided under her supervision. From December 2009 to February 2012, she pursued Post-Doctoral research in X-ray crystallography at Universiti Sains Malaysia under the mentorship of Prof. H.-K. Fun, focusing on supramolecular motifs and metal coordination complexes. Her total research experience spans over five and a half years, during which she explored protein-ligand interactions, crystal engineering, and bioorganic compound synthesis. She also participated in institutional academic committees and inspection boards, contributing to higher education quality assurance. Her dual expertise in both teaching and high-impact research makes her a well-rounded academic professional.
🏆 Awards and Honors:
Dr. Madhukar Hemamalini has been the recipient of the prestigious Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi (2004–2006), which stands as a testimony to her research potential and academic rigor. In addition to this major national honor, she has been involved in several university-level academic panels, including Inspection Committees for women’s colleges in Dindigul, highlighting her contributions to academic governance and quality control. Her funded project under the UGC Minor Research Project Scheme—with a sanctioned amount of ₹5,00,000—focused on the hydrogen bonding interactions and phase transition studies in organic compounds, an area of current interest in molecular chemistry. Her work has been cited over 228 times, and she holds a h-index of 12 and an i10-index of 8, reflecting a consistent and meaningful research output across international journals.
🔬 Research Focus:
Dr. Hemamalini’s research revolves around X-ray crystallography, macromolecular chemistry, and supramolecular design. Her scientific interest lies in unraveling structure–function relationships in molecules, particularly in protein-ligand complexes, bioorganic frameworks, and pharmaceutical solids. She has applied her expertise in both experimental (e.g., crystal growth and structural analysis) and computational techniques (e.g., molecular docking, dynamics simulations) to synthesize novel compounds with potential drug-like behavior. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges chemistry with biology, enabling her to work on problems like TNF-α inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis, anti-cancer screening, and antidiabetic compound design. She has actively published in reputed journals, showcasing both synthetic and theoretical studies. Her postdoctoral training at Universiti Sains Malaysia helped her master crystallographic techniques, further enriching her analytical capabilities. Her work continues to contribute valuable insights into biomolecular recognition, drug-receptor modeling, and material science.
📚 Publications Top Notes:
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📄 Synthesis of 3-Methoxy…phenol Schiff base: spectral, in-silico & in-vitro studies – Heliyon, 2022
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🧬 In silico and in vitro identification of TNF-α inhibitors from Euphorbia hirta for rheumatoid arthritis – Molecular Diversity, 2025
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💊 Anti-diabetic activity of pyrimidinium-hydrogen oxalate conjugates: synthesis, docking & simulation – Journal of Molecular Structure, 2025
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🧪 [2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-(4-nitrobenzylidene)amine: anti-breast cancer & antibacterial insights – Journal of Molecular Structure, 2025
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🔬 PPI networking, expression analysis & TNF-α inhibitor screening for RA – Molecular Diversity, 2025
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🧫 6-Bromo-9,9-diethyl-N,N-diphenylfluoren-2-amine – Data Paper
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🧊 Insights into oxidovanadium porphyrin: synthesis & Hirshfeld surface analysis – Journal of Molecular Structure, 2024
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🧬 1,4-Dimethylpiperazine-2,3-dione – crystal structure study – Iucrdata, 2024
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⚗️ (1H-Benzodiazol-2-ylmethyl)diethylamine – molecular characterization – Iucrdata, 2024
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🔍 Structural & oxidative studies of (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)Porphyrin Ni(II) Complex – Russian Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2024
🧾 Conclusion:
Dr. Madhukar Hemamalini possesses a well-rounded academic profile with consistent research output, teaching excellence, mentorship, and academic service. Her work in structural and medicinal chemistry, particularly involving crystallography and biomolecular interactions, has practical implications in drug discovery and material science. She demonstrates all the key markers of a successful and impactful researcher.