Team Category: Oral Fluid Working Group

THINKTOX Founder and Chief Toxicologist Dr. Suman Rana is a distinguished professional with over 25 years of exceptional technical and leadership experience in the private toxicology industry. Her career encompasses roles as a seasoned researcher, scientific and operations director, showcasing a remarkable journey of innovation and impactful leadership at fortune 500 companies like Abbott. Internationally recognized as a leading toxicologist, Dr. Rana has successfully steered the startup of forensic and clinical laboratories, demonstrating her adeptness in navigating complex challenges.

As a trailblazer, Dr. Rana’s expertise extends to strategic business development and scientific brand and educational engagements, reflecting a unique blend of technical acumen and strategic vision. Before establishing THINKTOX, she was the Director of Scientific Leadership at Abbott.

Dr. Rana served on the Board of Directors of the Society of Forensic Toxicology (SOFT) for eight years, culminating in her presidency in 2020. She was the first chairperson of the Designer Drugs Committee of SOFT, which was incepted by her visionary leadership and deep understanding of the changing toxicology landscape. 

Dr. Rana’s commitment to advancing the field of toxicology is evident from her volunteer work with several scientific organizations. She currently serves on the Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division (ADID) of the National Safety Council (NSC) and helps advance their agenda of eliminating preventable deaths and injuries. Dr. Rana played a pivotal role on the Toxicology Subcommittee of the Chemistry/Instrumental Scientific Area Committee of OSAC, contributing significantly to the establishment of industry standards for the field of forensic toxicology. She also serves on the Consensus Body of the Academy Standards Board (ASB) where she continues to help elevate the field by contributing to critical review and revision of the toxicology consensus standards.    

A prolific author, Dr. Rana has contributed to several scientific papers and abstracts, presenting her findings at esteemed national and international toxicology conferences. Recognized internationally as a thought leader, she has been an invited speaker on numerous occasions and has facilitated technical workshops and training sessions. Her commitment to advancing the field is further evident in her roles as a reviewer for multiple scientific journals and her service on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology (JAT). 

A Fellow with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Dr. Rana is an active member of SOFT and a member of the AAFS/SOFT joint Oral Fluid Committee. She is also an active member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), where she serves as the Regional Representative for the United States.

Dr. Rana’s unwavering dedication to scientific excellence, leadership, and innovation continues to shape the landscape of toxicology, making her a respected authority and a driving force within the field. 

Tara Leystra Ackerman is the state and local government affairs specialist for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). She is an experienced government affairs professional, with over 15 years of experience working with government officials on transportation safety and healthcare initiatives. In her current role, she manages the NTSB’s relationships with state and local officials and agencies and monitors state legislative activities related to the agency’s recommendations. This includes focusing on state legislative activity around NTSB’s recommendations addressing impaired driving, which covers ignition interlocks, lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit and multi-substance impaired driving. She collaborates with other NTSB offices to coordinate state legislative efforts and supports investigations and report writing through research and analysis.

In her previous role at the National Safety Council, Tara led state lobbying efforts, focusing on eliminating motor vehicle crashes, fighting the opioid overdose epidemic, and improving workplace safety, focusing on ensuring employers could ensure impairment free workplaces.  

Prior to joining NSC, Tara was a state affairs associate at the American College of Surgeons. In this role, she advocated for policies to improve trauma care, prevent injuries, and ensure patient access to quality surgical care.

She graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and later received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University. She currently lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters.

Brian Swift and his family’s life drastically changed on March 20, 2013, when his mother and father were hit by a logging truck driver. His father, Thomas, died on the scene, and his mother, Barbara, was transported to a hospital and ultimately died of her injuries three days later. The driver who killed Brian’s parents ran a red light and struck their car. The driver would be charged with operating a commercial motor vehicle with a suspended license, driving recklessly, and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. He tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive and impairing component of cannabis, and was convicted. His sentence for killing Barbara and Thomas — five years imprisonment.

The devastating death of his parents inspired Brian to take action to prevent impaired driving. Brian built a coalition and successfully pushed for Michigan Public Act 242 and 243 in 2016, affectionately known as the Barbara J. and Thomas J. Swift Law, the first legislatively mandated statewide oral fluid drug testing program in the country. The pilot program began in five Michigan counties run by the Michigan State Police. It was expanded a year later to include all Michigan counties. In this effort, the idea for NASID was born.

Brian is a staunch advocate for implementing effective laws, programs, tools and technology to help prevent and stop impaired driving.

Dr. Ryan C. Smith is the Senior Director of Traffic Safety Research and Innovation at Responsibility.org. In this role, he oversees a national traffic safety research agenda for Responsibility.org and the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID). Dr. Smith brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors and is a national leader in impaired driving data, research, and countermeasures.

Dr. Smith most recently served as a transportation research analyst in the Office of Research and Engineering at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). His primary duties involved conducting safety research studies, supporting major crash investigations, and providing broad technical expertise in the areas of alcohol and other drug impairment. This included advocating for key safety recommendations through media requests, legislative testimony, and stakeholder engagement. He also served as a project manager and senior highway accident investigator in the NTSB’s Office of Highway Safety where he managed high-profile crash investigations and report development. Dr. Smith also completed an interagency detail in the Office of Behavioral Safety Research at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Prior to joining the NTSB, Dr. Smith was a Research Scientist and founding group leader for impaired driving research at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. His duties involved overseeing over $7M in extramurally funded research and leading a diverse team of faculty on projects spanning impaired driving prevention and advanced vehicle technologies.

Dr. Smith brings a national perspective to his work, having led cross-agency efforts to improve impaired driving prevention through research, data analysis, and policy engagement. He is an active member of both national and international working groups focused on impaired-driving prevention, including the Transportation Research Board, International Council on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety, and the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals. He is a peer reviewer for numerous leading scientific journals and serves on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Safety Research.

He obtained his Ph.D. and Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organization Psychology from Virginia Tech. He also holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science – all from Virginia Tech.