Baylor’s Liela Romero Wins Prestigious NSF CAREER Award for Green Chemistry and Drug Discovery Research
Baylor University chemistry professor Liela Romero, Ph.D., has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to advance research in sustainable chemical synthesis and cancer drug discovery. The $660,000 five-year grant will support Romero’s development of synthetic tools using earth-abundant metals, such as zirconium, to create more efficient, less toxic, and lower-cost catalytic processes.
Romero, a Baylor alumna (B.S. ’11), returned to her alma mater in 2020 with support from a $2 million Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grant. Her latest NSF recognition highlights her leadership in advancing chemical tools for anti-cancer drug development and her contributions to sustainability in chemical manufacturing, including applications for plastic waste reduction.
Romero describes her lab as a kitchen for organic synthesis, crafting complex molecules inspired by natural products to better understand and improve their therapeutic potential. Her CAREER-funded work will also include educational outreach, developing chemistry learning opportunities for visually impaired students and co-organizing advanced instrumentation workshops for educators across Texas.
University leaders praised Romero’s accomplishments as a reflection of Baylor’s growing national reputation for research excellence.