Solidarity Bridge Session 1 – How an academic infectious diseases division mobilised in Singapore
Infectious disease divisions responding to COVID-19 must advocate and lead efforts for the safety of patients and healthcare workers alike. Key components of success include embracing leadership, adaptability, and teamwork. With sustainable robust systems in place, core services and traditional missions, including education and research, can thrive again.
About the Panellists:
GUEST-OF-HONOUR – Mr Carlos Vasquez Corrales is Ambassador of Peru in Singapore. Mr Vasquez Corrales is a career diplomat with thirty years of experience. He served overseas in Peru’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in the Consulate General of Peru in New York, in the Permanent Delegation of Peru to UNESCO, in the Consulate General of Peru in Sydney (Consul General), and in the Embassy of Peru in Malaysia (Deputy Head of Mission). He is currently the Dean of the Group of Latin American and the Caribbean (GRULAC) in Singapore
Mr Vasquez Corrales holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the New School for Social Research, New York, a Master’s Degree International Relations & Trade from the Government Institute of San Martin de Porres University, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru. Mr Vasquez Corrales speaks Spanish, English, and French.
GUEST SPEAKER – A/Prof Sophia Archuleta is Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the National University Hospital (NUH), and Director of the National HIV Programme, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, (NCID) Singapore.
She received her Bachelor of Science from Yale University in 1994, M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1998, completed her internal medicine and infectious disease training at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases.
Prior to joining NUH and NCID, she was with the faculty of the Division of International Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Weill Medical College of Cornell University where she focussed on HIV medicine and postgraduate education.
She is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore, and serves as President of the Women in Science & Healthcare Project at National University Health System.
Please click the link to see the video of the first session of the Solidarity bridge between Singapore and Latin America.
SINGAPORE CO-CHAIR – A/Prof Swaine Chen is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, a Group Leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore, and an Editor of the journal Microbial Genomics. He specialises in the bacterial genetics and manipulation of wild type clinical isolates and has expertise in the application of genomics for investigation of outbreaks of bacterial disease.
He received an A.B. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Harvard University and an M.D./Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Stanford University. After a postdoc at Washington University in St. Louis in molecular microbiology, he received the Singapore National Research Foundation Fellowship in 2010 and started his lab at NUS.
COSTA RICA CO-CHAIR – Dr Marcela Hernandez de Mezerville is the Co-ordinator of the Epidemiology and Infection Prevention and Control Unit, Paediatric Hospital of Costa Rica – Hospital Nacional de Niños Carlos Sáenz Herrera , San José, Costa Rica Paediatric Infectious Diseases specialist. She trained at University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children. She is also Advisor to the Center of Operational Control of the Social Security Institute of Costa Rica.
Dr Marcela graduated from the University of Costa Rica and the University of Toronto, Canada.
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