Dr Song Sze Looi is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Universiti Malaya, specialising in molecular ecology, phylogenomics, environmental DNA (eDNA), next generation sequencing (NGS), and bioinformatics. She obtained her PhD in Algal Biotechnology in 2013. Following her doctorate, she was appointed as a Postdoctoral Researcher on a high-impact research project in molecular phylogenetics and systematics. In 2016, she became a Research Fellow, with a focus on the application of NGS and bioinformatics in molecular biodiversity research. In 2019, Dr Song joined the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences (CAMS) at Xiamen University Malaysia as an Assistant Professor. She returned to Universiti Malaya in 2021 and currently serves as the Programme Coordinator for the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) and the Programme Director for Future Studies.

Dr Song’s research integrates high-throughput sequencing technologies, molecular approaches, and advanced bioinformatics to investigate biodiversity, evolutionary relationships, and ecological patterns across a wide range of marine and terrestrial organisms. Her research has examined the phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns of organisms of economic, agricultural, and public health importance, including seaweeds, parasites, insects, and vertebrates, as well as microbial communities associated with host organisms and environmental samples. More recently, her research has expanded towards environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding and environmental genomics for biodiversity monitoring, with a particular emphasis on marine and coastal ecosystems.

Dr Song has published more than 60 Web of Science (WoS)-indexed journal articles and has led or contributed to numerous research projects funded by national, international, and industry bodies, including the Japan Toray Science Foundation, the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), the National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF), and PETRONAS-funded collaborative research with UCSI University. Her current research focuses on developing and applying eDNA-based approaches for biodiversity assessment and ecosystem monitoring, particularly in sensitive estuarine and coastal habitats. Her research contributions have been recognised through multiple awards, including the Malaysia Toray Science Foundation 2023 Science and Technology Award, of which she was a co-recipient.