Singapore specialist named president-elect of International Society of Infectious Diseases

National University of Singapore professor Paul Tambyah, who is also a senior infectious diseases consultant will begin his term in 2022

He will become the first Singaporean to head the US-based non-profit organisation that focuses on helping developing countries

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Infectious diseases specialist Paul Tambyah, who is also chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party. Photo: Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

Published: 10:00am, 18 Jun 2020Updated: 10:00am, 18 Jun 2020

Infectious diseases specialist Paul Tambyah from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has been named president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, becoming the first Singaporean to hold the position.

His term as president will begin in 2022. For now, Tambyah, 55, will support the current president, Alison Holmes of Imperial College London, in running the organisation, NUS said in a statement on Wednesday.

The society is a US-based non-profit organisation with a focus on helping developing countries with limited resources that disproportionately bear the brunt of pandemics.

Started in 1986, the society, which has a network of more than 90,000 people worldwide, aims to support health professionals, non-governmental organisations and governments in finding solutions to infectious diseases.

A scientist examines cells infected with Covid-19 under a microscope while researching a vaccine. Photo: Reuters

In an emailed response on Wednesday, Tambyah, who is also a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital, said he was honoured to have been elected to the post “despite the challenging environment”.