Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah is currently Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore and also Senior Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at the National University Health System. After completing medical school and military service in Singapore, he trained in the United States under Dr Dennis Maki at the University of Wisconsin. Since returning to Singapore more than 20 years ago, he has been involved in a number of national and international committees and is currently President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and President-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases. His main research interests are device associated infections and emerging infectious diseases.