Assoc Prof Tan Ai Ling

About Doctor

Dr Tan Ai Ling is Senior Consultant and Head of the Diagnostic Bacteriology section of the Department of Pathology. She graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1981, and subsequently trained in Microbiology. She obtained the Diploma in Bacteriology (University of Manchester) in 1986 and the Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia in 1989. She was awarded a HMDP Fellowship in Mycology and Laboratory Quality Assurance from October 1993 to January 1994. Her interests are in Mycology and general Bacteriology. She is the chairman of the department’s Laboratory Quality Committee which oversees quality, accreditation and safety issues.

Languages Spoken

• English

Education and Training

• ​MBBS (National University of Singapore, 1981) 
• Diploma in Bacteriology (The Victoria University of Manchester, UK,1986) 
  
• FRCPA (Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, 1989) 
  
• FAMS (Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 1991) 
  

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

• ​Senior Consultant and Head of Diagnostic Bacteriology Section, Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital 
• Visiting Consultant (Microbiology) to Changi General Hospital, wef 1 April 2006 
  
• Chairman, Microbiology Subcommittee, Pathology Specialist Training Committee, wef August 2004 
  
• Member of the Hospital Infection Control Committee, wef 7 Dec 2005 
  
• Chairman, Laboratory Quality Committee, Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital 
  
• Member, SAC-SINGLAS Technical Assessor/Expert for Microbiology 
  
• Member, Zoonosis Advisory Committee, Singapore Wildlife Reserves 
  
• Member, National Biosafety Committee, MOH 
  
• Member, Working Community for the Development for Select Agent List, MOH
  
  

Awards

• ​HMDP Fellowship for Diploma in Bacteriology, October 1985  July 1986. 
• HMDP Fellowship in Mycology and Laboratory Quality Assurance, October 1993 to January 1994. 
  
• Minister of Health Award on 10 July 2006 for work done in Fusraium keratitis outbreak 
  
• Singapore Society of Pathology (SSP) Becton Dickinson Award 2008
  

Publications

• Epidemiology and control of Legionellosis, Singapore. Meng Chon Lam, Li Wei Ang, Ai Ling Tan, Lyn James, Kee Tai Goh. Emerging Infectious Diseases.  July 2011, 17(7) 
  
• Neisseria meningitidis with reduced susceptibility to quinolones in Singapore. Annabelle Donaldson, Wen Ying Tang, Ai Ling Tan, Barkham Timothy. J Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Dec 2009, 10: 1093 
  
• Results from the ARTEMIS DISK global antifungal surveillance stydy, 1997 to 2007: a 10.5-year analysis of susceptibilities of Candida species to fluconazole and voriconazole as determines by CLSI standardized disk diffusion. MA Pfaller, DJ Diekema, DL Gibbs, VA Newell, D Ellis, V Tullio, A Rodloff, W Fu, TA Ling and the Global Antifungal Surveillance Group. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. April 2010, 48(4): 1366-1377 
  
• Active surveillance testing and decontamination strategies in intensive care units to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Asok Kurup, Nidhi Chlebicka, Kwee Yuen Tan, Eileen Xueqin Chen, Lynette Oon, Tan Ai Ling, Moi Lin Ling, Jenny Low Guek Hong. Am J Infect Control. June 2010, 38: 361-7 
  
• The increased role of non-albicans species in candidaemia: results from a 3-year surveillance study. Thean Y Tan, Ai L Tan, Nancy WS Tee, Lily SY Ng, Chloe WJ Chee. Mycosis. Nov 2010, 53(6): 515-21 
  
• Metronidazole-resistant Helicobacter pylori in an urban Asian population. Teo EK, Fock KM, Ng TM, Khor JL, Tan AL. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2000 May; 15(5):494-7. 
  
• Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii meningitis in Singapore. TH Koh, AL Tan YL Lo, H Oh. Medical Mycology. 2002 40:221-223 
  
• Candida dubliniensis Infection, Singapore. Tan AL, Wang, GCY, Chiu YW. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2002 Apr; 8(4): 445-446. 
  
• Community acquired bacteraemia with an ESBL-producing Escherichia coli strain – a case report. BH Tan, ALTan. Int J Infect Dis 2002 Dec; 6(4): 318-9 
  
• Prospective randomised study of bacteraemia in diathermy and stapled haemorrhoidectomy. A Maw, R Concepcion, KW Eu, F Seow-Choen, SM Heah, CL Tang, AL Tan. British Journal of Surgery 2003 Feb; 90(2):222-6 
  
• Molecular Typing of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Isolates from Countries in Asia by a Multiplex PCR Assay on Variable-Number Tandem Repeats. Yichun Liu, May-Ann Lee, Eng-Eong Ooi, Yeo Mavis, Ai-Ling Tan, Hung-Hiang Quek. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2003 Sept, 41(9):4388-4394 
  
• Epidemiology and clinical outcome of enterococcal bacteraemia in an acute care hospital. CH Poh, HML Oh, AL Tan. Journal of Infection 2006, 52: 383-386 
  
• An Outbreak of Fusarium Keratitis Associated With Contact Lens Wear in Singapore. WB Khor, T Aung, SM Saw, TY Wong, PA Tambyah, AL Tan, R Beuerman, L Lim, WK Chan, WJ Heng, J Lim, RSK Loh, SB Lee, DTH Tan. JAMA 2006, June 28, 295(24):2867-2873 
  
• Risk Factors for Contact Lens-Related Fusarium Keratitis. A Case-Control Study in Singapore. Seang-Mei Saw, Peng-Lim Ooi, Donald TH Tan, Wei-Boon Khor, Chee-Weng Fong, Jayne Lim, Howard Y Cajucom-Uy, Derrick Heng, Suok-Kai Chew, Tin Aung, Ai-Ling Tan, Cheng-Leng Chan, Steven Ting, Paul A Tambyah, Tien-Yin Wong. Arch Ophthalmol. 2007; 125 (5) : 611-617 
  
• Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in a large teaching hospital in Singapore. Tse Hsien Koh, Ai Ling Tan, Mee Lee Tan, Grace Wang and Keang Peng Song. Pathology 2007 August, 39(4): 438-442 
  
• Production of a Monoclonal Antibody Specific for the Major Outer Membrane Protein of Campylobacter jejuni and Characterization of the Epitope. Hongliang Qian, Ervinna Pang, Qinyun Du, Jason Chang, Jin Dong, Say Ling Toh, Fook Kheong Ng, Ai Ling Tan, Jimmy Kwang. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2008, 74(3): 833-839 
  
• Use of multiple methods for genotyping Fusarium during an outbreak of contact lens associated fungal keratitis in Singapore. Roland Jureen, Tse H Koh, Grace Wang, Louis YA Chai, Ai L Tan, Tracy Chai, Yong W Wong, Yue Wang, Paul A Tambyah, Roger Beuerman, and Donald Tan. BMC Infectious Diseases 2008, 8:92-98 
  
• Monoclonal antibody binding to the major outer membrane protein of  Campylobacter coli. Qian H, Pang E, Chang J, Tol SL, Ng FK, Tan AL, Kwang J. J Immunol Methods 2008, 339(1):104-113. 
  
• Melioidosis: antibiogram of cases in Singapore 1987 – 2007. Ai Ling Tan, Mee-Lee Tan. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Dec 2008, 102/S1: S101-S102 
  
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Throat Colonisation Among Healthcare Workers During an Outbreak in Singapore General Hospital. Chan KS, Ling ML, Hsu LY, Tan AL. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. Jan 2009, 30(1): 95-97