Murugesan's primary research fields are economic development and behavioral economics particularly focused on issues at the intersection of social and economic spheres. He has conducted experiments in the U.S. and India on dishonest behavior in the context of corruption. He currently collaborates on two ITI projects at CEU (Beliefs Fostering Dishonesty and JUSTData)

Prior to joining SPP, Murugesan taught at the University of California, Merced. Murugesan graduated from St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore and holds an M.A. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. 

At SPP, Murugesan teaches elective courses on development, behavioral and institutional economics. He co-teaches the core courses on Economic Analysis and Quantitative Methods.