Prof Loubser’s research focuses on the formation and evolution of massive elliptical galaxies, with emphasis on the dominant galaxies in galaxy groups and clusters.

Loubser's leading edge observational studies, using telescopes such as the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the Gemini telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, led to her being awarded the 2017 Henri Chrétien Award for observational astronomy by the American Astronomical Society, and the 2018 South African Women in Science Award for Distinguished Young Scientist: Astronomy.

Loubser is strongly committed to training the next generation of South African astronomers, and since 2010 has successfully mentored three postdoctoral fellows, graduated two doctoral and six master's students and supervised eight honours projects, all at NWU's Centre for Space Research. Her current research projects put heavy emphasis on using and training students for South African research facilities, including the SALT and other Sutherland-based telescopes, the MeerKAT radio telescope, and ultimately the Square Kilometre Array.

With an NRF C2 rating, Loubser is the author of 26 peer-reviewed articles, including papers in leading international journals such as Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. She is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP), the African Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World.

She has chaired the South African National Committee of the IAU and the Astrophysics and Space Science Specialist Group of the SAIP, and served on various other national committees, including the South African Astronomical Observatory's Scientific Advisory Committee, the SALT Task Team and Time Allocation Committee, and the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme Steering Committee.