Jennifer Schumann
Head of the Drug Intelligence Unit
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
president@facta.org.au
Associate Professor Jennifer Schumann is Head of the Drug Intelligence Unit at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Monash University’s Department of Forensic Medicine. She is a forensic pharmacologist and toxicologist, with over two decades of experience interpreting the involvement of alcohol and other drugs in death.
Jennifer is an Associate Investigator and Public Health Lead on the NHMRC funded project, the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia (EDNA), and Forensic Lead on the state-based project, EDNA-Vic (EDNAV). Jennifer led the world’s first research program on coward punch assaults in partnership with the Stop the Coward Punch Campaign, which was instrumental in changing Australian legislation. Her work was also pivotal in the 2018 rescheduling of codeine to prescription-only. She has published extensively, presented her research throughout the world, and received a number of awards and travel grants in recognition of her work, including a prestigious 2019 Churchill Fellowship. In 2014, Jennifer was a visiting postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institute and National Board of Forensic Medicine, Sweden, and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, supported by a Victoria Fellowship.
Jennifer is Editor of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) Bulletin, on the Board of Directors for Stop the Coward Punch foundation, an Adviser for Pill Testing Australia, and Chair of the FACTA Drug Checking Committee. Her research has stimulated public debate, engaged media and been directly responsible for changes in Australian policy and practice.
Michaela Kenneally
Senior Forensic Scientist
Toxicology Section
Forensic Science SA
treasurer@facta.org.au
Michaela has been a Forensic Scientist within the Toxicology department of Forensic Science SA since 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Technology (Forensic and Analytical Chemistry) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Flinders University and is an approved analyst under the Road Traffic Act of South Australia. Michaela has presented evidence in District and Magistrate’s courts and given lectures on forensic toxicology to South Australian Police, external clients and the public.
Michaela has interests in post-mortem toxicology, particularly in relation to child death, and in the use of hair testing as evidence of drug exposure. She has presented at international conferences and supervised post-graduate students undertaking novel and applied research. Michaela has published in and peer-reviewed for scientific journals.
Michaela is a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS), the Society of Hair Testing (SOHT) and co-editor of the FACTA newsletter.
Samantha Joubert
LCMS Applications Specialist
Melbourne Pathology, Melbourne, Victoria
Samantha holds a Masters in Forensic Sciences from Western Sydney University, as well as a Bachelor in Forensic Biology and Toxicology and Bachelor in Biomedical and Molecular Science from Murdoch University. She has experience in both clinical and forensic toxicology, working as a forensic toxicologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine before moving to Melbourne Pathology in 2022 to develop LCMS methods for their clinical toxicology laboratory.
Samantha has presented at several FACTA meetings, as well as a TIAFT meeting. She is an Approved Analyst under the Victorian Road Safety Act and is also a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT).
Her interests include LCMS method development and validation, hair testing, novel psychoactive substances, post-mortem and clinical toxicology. Samantha is currently the editor of the FACTA newsletter and managing the FACTA Social media LinkedIn and Facebook discussion group.
Matt Hosking
Technical Operation Manager
Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) Limited
Kenepuru, Wellington, New Zealand
Matt holds a Bachelors degree in Chemistry and has been working in various roles within ESR over the last 18 years. He is currently the Operation Manager for the Toxicology, Blood Alcohol, Workplace Drug Testing and Pharmaceuticals groups within ESR.
He has given evidence in many criminal, coronial and family court cases in New Zealand and is an Approved Analyst under the New Zealand Land Transport Act.
He is a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) and is a board member of the Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association of Australasia (FACTA).
Naren Gunja
Clinical & Forensic Toxicologist
Western Sydney Health
secretary@facta.org.au
A/Prof Naren Gunja is a Clinical Toxicologist at Western Sydney, working at the toxicology units in Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals. He is a fellow of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine and the American College of Medical Toxicology. A/Prof Gunja has published extensively in toxicology and provides consultation advice at the NSW Poisons Information Centre.
He has a masters degree in forensic toxicology and is Clinical Associate Professor at Sydney Medical school teaching pharmacology and medication safety.
Amanda Thompson
Senior Chemist – Forensic Toxicology
Queensland Health Forensic & Scientific Services
Amanda holds a Masters in Forensic Sciences from University of Canberra, as well as a Bachelor of Science (Hons) and Bachelor of Technology (Forensic & Analytical Chemistry) from Flinders University. Amanda started her career in 2004 in the Forensic Toxicology laboratory at Forensic Science South Australia before moving north to Brisbane in 2011. Her main duties are in the post-mortem area as well as being hair testing coordinator, method validations, method development and LCMS maintenance.
Amanda’s main areas of interest include post-mortem toxicology, hair testing, and method development and validation. She has presented at several FACTA meetings and has published in peer reviewed scientific journals.
Amanda is also a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS), the Society of Hair Testing (SOHT) and was recently the editor of FACTA News.
Past Presidents
Prof Emeritus Olaf H. Drummer AO
Professor Olaf H. Drummer AO, Dr.h.c.(Antwerp), PhD (Melb), BAppSc(RMIT), FRCPA, FFSC, FACBS, FVIFM, CChem, is a forensic pharmacologist and toxicologist. He retired as Deputy Director (Academic Programs) at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, and Professor and Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University in 2017 He is currently a part time forensic toxicology consultant specialist for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and emeritus professor at Monash University.
He completed his Applied Chemistry Degree at completed Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 1973 and his PhD a few years later from Melbourne University. He worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Clinical Pharmacology Unit at the University of Melbourne’s Austin Hospital precinct becoming a NH&MRC research fellow in 1986. In 1989 he took up a position as an Assistant Director at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine to form Victoria’s new forensic toxicology laboratories as well as manage other laboratory and research activities within the Institute.
He has received a number of awards: the Alan Curry award in 2016 from the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT); Jean Servais Stas award from the German Society of Toxicology and Forensic Chemistry (GTFCh) (2013); Excellence in Higher Degree supervision, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University (2013); Irving Sunshine award from the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT) for Excellence in Clinical Toxicology (2005) and the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) award for Excellence in Alcohol and Drug Research (2000). He has also received an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) from the University of Antwerp (2016).
He received an Order of Australia honour (AO) in the 2019 Australia Day honours list for his contributions to forensic toxicology, to medical education and professional groups.
He has published extensively in the fields of forensic pharmacology and analytical toxicology, including over 300 scientific papers, and has written or co-written 3 books. He has acted as an expert forensic pharmacologist and toxicologist in hundreds of court cases in Australia and in other parts of the world including some prominent murder trials. His research interests have focused on public health issues and prevention of harms associated with drug use, such as assisting in the laws surrounding drug driving and improving the management of opioid-dependent people.
He is a past President (2008-2011) of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) as well as having served as treasurer (1998-2005), and is the past and inaugural President of the Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association of Australia (FACTA inc; 2010-2016). He is also a member of a number of national and international associations.
He is the editor for toxicology manuscript submissions for Forensic Science International, and sits on a number of editorial boards of several journals. He is also an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), a founding fellow of the Faculty of Science within the RCPA; a fellow of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists (ACBS), a honorary fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London (UK) and a fellow of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM).
Dimitri Gerostamoulos
Dr Gerostamoulos is the Head of Forensic Sciences and Chief Toxicologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Melbourne. He is a Toxicologist and Pharmacologist and holds a Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine) in the field of Forensic Toxicology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree, both from Monash University. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Monash University.
Dr Gerostamoulos is also a member the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) and The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS). He is an approved assessor for the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) in Forensic Science. Further, Dr. Gerostamoulos was awarded the TIAFT Award for Excellence in Hamamatsu in 2012 and is a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science, Royal College of Pathologists Australasia. He is currently the President of Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association of Australasia (FACTA Inc.).
Dr Gerostamoulos has given evidence in numerous cases in many courts and inquests in the field of forensic toxicology and pharmacology and has provided opinions on a number of other cases around Australia in relation to the pharmacology of drugs, effects of drugs in drivers, analytical and toxicological issues. He has published many papers in peer reviewed journals, book chapters, e-book and drug monographs.
As a TIAFT member since 1993, he is the current president of TIAFT. Since that time, he has been an active TIAFT member attending many meetings and expanding his connections with many friends and colleagues. Dr. Gerostamoulos recognises that TIAFT is a very special organisation that seeks to advance the science of forensic toxicology through annual meetings, workshops, regional meetings, funded scholarships and collaborations. He has served as a past bulletin editor and has contributed to the history of TIAFT.
Tim Scott
Tim is a Team Leader in the Toxicology section at Forensic Science SA, supervising both coronial and criminal cases. He has a Bachelor of Technology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Flinders University, where he holds the position of Associate Lecturer. He has published a number of scientific articles, mostly focusing on post-mortem toxicology and drug screening using high resolution mass spectrometry. He has appeared in court as an expert witness and is an approved analyst under the Road Traffic Act of South Australia.
He served on the board of FACTA from 2013-2024, including as president from 2022-2024. He is a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), for which he produces The Toxpod, a podcast about forensic toxicology. He is also a member of The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) and the Society of Hair Testing (SOHT).