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
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.
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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.
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”.
His first encounter with the society was more than two decades ago, in 1998, when he presented his research as a postgraduate infectious diseases trainee at its International Congress of Infectious Diseases in Boston, US.
I felt it was time to have a president from Asia, and that I could contribute to the society’s mission
He was later part of an organising committee for the congress when it was held in Singapore in 2002.
Tambyah said that Jonathan Cohen, a former president of the society, had asked him to run for the post.
“I agreed as I felt it was time to have a president from Asia, and that I could contribute to the society’s mission in improving infectious disease care in low- and middle-income countries,” he said.
“Also, this would present opportunities for clinicians and scientists in Singapore to get involved in the region and the world of infectious disease.”
Nevertheless, he believes “the strong staff, under the leadership of Holmes, will weather the storm”.
Asked about his plans for the society, Tambyah said that he would like to build on the work of Holmes, and strengthen an “emerging leaders” programme that mentors young scientists from around the world and connects them with academics in major centres.
“I would also like to get the global health programmes in [Singapore’s] three medical schools and connect them with the professionals in the countries where [the society] is active,” he said.
Singapore’s three medical schools are the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS, where Tambyah is a professor of medicine, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University and the Duke-NUS Medical School.
Tambyah added that Singapore can play a “tremendous role” by sharing its knowledge and resources in containing and controlling infectious diseases.
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Marc Mendelson, a former president of the society, said that Tambyah was well-known to all in the infectious diseases field. “[He] brings a wealth of experience from his time with multiple international societies and august bodies as well as formidable experience across the spectrum of infection, including outbreaks, tropical medicine and clinical applied research,” Mendelson said.
A doctor since 1988, Tambyah is also president of the Asia-Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. He headed the Singapore Society of Infectious Diseases from 2011 to 2015.
Away from medicine, Tambyah is the chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party.
Read the original article at Today Online
