Ashlesha Sonpar is a Canadian infectious disease physician and Scientific Project Manager for the REVERSE Project.

Canada to Zurich - the Road Less Travelled 

Dr. Ash Sonpar began her medical career in Canada. Having completed her training in 2019, Dr. Sonpar worked on several different programmes in infection prevention/control and antimicrobial stewardship. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, she because part of a team of engineers capturing and measuring virus particles. The, more opportunity came knocking - this time in the form of an exciting job offer from Zurich to explore strategies to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, a subject that motivate her greatly. 

“There were a few situations where I felt helpless since I had only a few treatment options to offer, all with serious side effects.’’

Given that subject matter (and the fact that Dr. Sonpar’s partner is Swiss), it seemed like the perfect move. Almost three years ago, she packed up and moved to Zurich—the rest, as they say, is history!

The REVERSE Project

This ambitious project aims to develop and implement cost-effective strategies and tools for the prevention and clinical management of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to multidrug-resistant pathogens and to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in high-prevalence healthcare settings. The potential impact of REVERSE is significant, making it an excellent opportunity for Ashlesha to collaborate with her European peers on this challenging issue.

“The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a great example of what can be achieved when people pool their efforts into solving a problem. This has shown me that we can aim higher and be more ambitious - and that is exactly what we’re doing with REVERSE”.

Role within REVERSE

Within REVERSE, Ash holds the pivotal role of the Scientific Project Manager, a position she greatly enjoys. Her responsibilities include managing the progress of interventions, overseeing the databases, ethics applications, and data collection and analysis. 

She works closely with the REVERSE Project Administration Officer. Their roles and approaches complement each other, and together, they make a dynamic team! Ash is very appreciative of her colleagues and all their hard work keeping the project moving according to timelines.

When asked about the best part of her role, Dr. Sonpar’s answer was swift and decisive - she enjoys collaboration with all the different hospitals from the various participating countries. She immensely enjoyed the site visits she participated in alongside the implementation team from work package 5. It was incredibly eye-opening and beneficial for Ash to see how other countries work and experience some of the challenges they face. For example, some sites use paper rather than digital means for their medication charts and lab services. This added additional layers of complexity in tasks like the collection of data.

Gaining this first-hand experience of how other healthcare systems operate was an invaluable experience for Ash. 

Ash also feels it is essential to meet people face to face and forge relationships outside the virtual environment. She believes that a strong connection with all participants is not just important, but crucial for the success of REVERSE! 

Impact of REVERSE

Dr. Sonpar is a strong advocate for the REVERSE Project. If successful, it will not only provide a wealth of high-quality evidence that IPC and ABS programmes work but also demonstrate how well they work together – an area where evidence is currently lacking. The implementation angle of REVERSE is equally crucial. Ash believes to ensure success, we must consider the 'how' as well as the 'what '. 

• How are we going to implement these new policies in clinical enviroments? 

• How will the things we implement be maintained at the participating sites after the project ends? 

• How will the hospitals sustain the progress they make? 

REVERSE hopes to answer these vital questions, leaving in place a robust structure, tools, and a comprehensive plan for the sites to build on. The topic of REVERSE itself (AMR) is a very prominent globally and is among the top global health threats. The urgent nee for IPC programmes in every hospital in every country is clear. The work REVERSE is doing in IPC and preventing possible hospital-acquired infections and future resistance is not just worthwhile, but essential to the global community.

“Drug-resistant bacteria are a daily challenge for us – one that requires a multi-disciplinary approach and collaboration. 

Outside the Hospital

Ash is a mother to her young son and is looking forward to all the exciting growth and challenges that being a mother and a physician entails. She greatly enjoys the European lifestyle and especially enjoys cooking, hiking, and taking in Switzerland's breathtaking scenery. 

Life after REVERSE

With at least another two years remaining on the REVERSE project, Ash has no plans to move any time soon! When the project concludes, she wants to stay in Switzerland (as her family is now settled there) and work as a physician again – hopefully at the University Hospital Zurich. In an ideal world, Dr. Sonpar’s future career entails a mix of clinical and research studies.