Yuefan Song

Yuefan Song is an Assistant Professor at the College of Food Science and Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, China. She holds visiting scholar positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the U.S. and Flinders University in Australia. Her research focuses on polysaccharide structural analysis, bioactive mechanisms of glycans in anti-tumor, anti-aging, and immunomodulation contexts, and marine-derived antiviral agents. She has expertise in glycobiology, antiviral drug discovery, and functional food development.

Education:

• B.S., 1999-2003: College of Oceanography and Environment, Xiamen University, China.
• Ph.D., 2003-2011: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Research Interests: Song’s work emphasizes marine glycans’ roles in antiviral activity, particularly against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. She investigates glycosaminoglycan interactions with viral proteins and explores functional food applications of polysaccharides. Her studies also address structural glycobiology, including heparan sulfate dynamics and ECM modulation in neural development.

Labs & Collaborations: Associated with the Linhardt Research Labs at RPI’s Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. Collaborates internationally on marine biotechnology, glycans, and drug development.