Ang Ler Shan

Academic Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Life Sciences, National University of Singapore

Research Areas

Environmental DNA, Biodiversity, Tropical Ecology, Disease Ecology

Research Interests

Ler Shan is interested in the applications of conservation genetics for biodiversity monitoring and biosurveillance. Her broader research interests also include ecological evolutionary development (Eco-Evo-Devo) and behavioural ecology.

Biography

Ler Shan is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS), focusing on ecological biosurveillance and biodiversity monitoring through conservation genetics. Her interdisciplinary background bridges field ecology and evolutionary genetics, rooted in prior research characterizing insect abundance in Singapore's secondary forests and investigating gene regulation in butterflies. At CNCS, she helped spearhead and deploy a field-based environmental DNA (eDNA) workflow using portable MinION nanopore sequencing. This contributed to research on harnessing innovative conservation technologies for rapid biodiversity monitoring, alongside the use of AI and bioacoustics. Her current research sits at the intersection of disease ecology and biosurveillance, where she employs non-invasive genetic sampling and eDNA methodologies to map the distribution and spatial dynamics of critical mammalian reservoirs, specifically macaques and bats. Through this work, she hopes to better understand zoonotic malaria transmission risks and contribute to the advancement of mammalian host-vector surveillance networks in Singapore