Professor Paul Tambyah has become the first Singaporean to lead US-based International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID).
In a statement, ISID said Professor Tambyah has been appointed President-Elect of its Executive Committee.
Currently Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS), he is also Senior Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at the National University Hospital (NUH), as well as Research Director in the Division of Infectious Diseases of the National University Health System.
The president elect’s role is to support the president, and assume the role of the president if necessary, ISID said, adding that Professor Tambyah will become president of the ISID in 2022.
After graduating from the National University of Singapore, Professor Tambyah did his postgraduate training at the University of Wisconsin before returning to Singapore in 1999. He has since held a number of academic, professional and advisory appointments including Assistant Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
Professor Tambyah is immediate past president of the Singapore Society of Infectious Diseases and Secretary-General of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
"Paul is well-known to all in the field of infectious diseases, and 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," said Marc Mendelson, Past-President of ISID.
"He is a go-to speaker on so many topics and currently serves as Chair of the ISID Publications Committee, playing a vital role in the success of our journal IJID.”
Professor Tambyah is also the Chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party, which has in a Facebook post congratulated the professor on his appointment. "Dr Tambyah will be fulfilling his duties remotely from Singapore, an island-nation that he will always call home."