Dr Rui Ma joined La Trobe University as a Lecturer in Finance in 2019. Rui's research focuses on market microstructure, market liquidity, climate risk, and return predictability. Her work has been published in leading finance journals, including the Journal of Financial Markets, Financial Analysts Journal, and British Journal of Management. Her research has attracted international media attention, with coverage in the Financial Times, The Conversation, QuantPedia, and Chief Investment Officer.

Rui has received multiple best paper awards, including the CFA ARX Best Paper Award, INFINZ Best Paper Prize for Investments, NZX Research Report of the Year Award, and the Boyle, Lally, and Rose Best Paper Prize. She has also been awarded competitive research grants as the principal investigator, including the AFAANZ Mid-Career Researcher Grant and La Trobe ASSC Research Start-up Grant.

Rui serves on the Editorial Board of Global Finance Journal and is a regular referee for over 20 ABDC-ranked journals. She has successfully co-supervised PhD and undergraduate research students to completion and contributes to the School through roles including WRDS Representative, Bloomberg Trading Room Supervisor, and Finance Course Advisor. Her teaching spans sustainable finance, portfolio management, market risk management, and applied econometrics.