Sasheela Ponnampalavanar Malaysia

Professor Dr. Sasheela Sri La Sri Ponnampalavanar is Professor of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, and Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia. Her expertise are in tropical medicine , infection prevention and control (IPC), antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Her work focuses on translating evidence into practice through behaviour change and implementation strategies to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. Professor Sasheela serves on several national committees, including the Malaysian National Antimicrobial Resistance Committee (NARC), the National Surgical Site Infection Committee, and the National Task Force on AMR Curriculum Development. She is an EXCO member of the Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy (MSIDC), Chair of the MyICID Infection Prevention and Control Interest Group, and a member of the External Affairs Committee of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). She also serves as an expert panel member for the APSIC Hand Hygiene Excellence Award and has contributed to WHO initiatives on healthcare-associated infection surveillance and infection prevention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Sasheela was appointed to the Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force, an emergency response initiative co-chaired by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Malaysian Armed Forces. She also led the development of the Guidelines on Ventilation in the Healthcare Setting to Reduce the Transmission of Respiratory Pathogens, contributing to national efforts to strengthen airborne infection prevention in healthcare facilities. Professor Sasheela has led numerous national and international collaborative research projects in IPC, AMS, AMR, and implementation science, with her work informing clinical practice, national policies, and infection prevention programmes. She has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and is actively involved in the education and training of healthcare professionals. Beyond academia, she is a strong advocate for antimicrobial resistance awareness and frequently contributes to television, radio, newspapers, and digital media to promote responsible antimicrobial use and infection prevention. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Fulbright Malaysian Professional Exchange Scholarship, the SHEA International Ambassador Award, and the APSIC Safe Surgery and Hand Hygiene Excellence Awards. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Organising Committee for the 12th APSIC Congress 2026

Main Congress - Day 1

Time Session
2:00pm
2:45pm
Opening Plenary Lecture 1 - Fighting infections One Second at a Time: Leveraging Hand Hygiene in High pressure Healthcare Settings
Prof.Sasheela Ponnampalavanar Moderator Universiti MalayaMalaysia
Dr.Yasmin Gani Moderator Hospital Sungai BulohMalaysia
Prof.Didier Pittet Speaker University Hospital of GenevaSwitzerland
Banquet Hall

Main Congress - Day 2

Time Session
12:10pm
1:10pm
Lunch Symposium 2 by Schülke
Evolving Paradigms in Infection Prevention and Control: Implementation, Evidence, and Occupational Safety
Prof.Sasheela Ponnampalavanar Moderator Universiti MalayaMalaysia
Conference Hall 1

Main Congress - Day 3

Time Session
12:40pm
1:40pm
Lunch Symposium 5 by Owens & Minor Halyard
Containing the Uncontainable: Addressing Infection Control While Protecting the Planet—Two Defining Challenges in Healthcare
Prof.Sasheela Ponnampalavanar Moderator Universiti MalayaMalaysia
Conference Hall 1

Main Congress - Day 4

Time Session
12:25pm
12:55pm
Plenary Lecture 7
Enhancing Compliance with Infection Control Protocols:Evidence from Latest Literature
Dr.Indhumathi Venkatachalam Chairperson Singapore General HospitalSingapore
Prof.Sasheela Ponnampalavanar Speaker Universiti MalayaMalaysia
Conference Hall 1,2,3
5:00pm
5:30pm
Closing and Prize-Giving Ceremony
Conference Hall 1,2,3

Pre-Congress Workshops

Time Session
8:00am
1:00pm
Pre-congress Workshop 3
Penicillin Allergy Delabelling: A Practical Tool to Strengthen IPC and AMS in Combating AMR
(Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research, Austin Health and the University of Melbourne)
MR 304