Damayanthi (Dayan) Ranwala, PhD, is Director of Research Development in the Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, South Carolina. Prior to joining Clemson in 2023, she was an Associate Professor in the Medical University of South Carolina, and Associate Director for Team Science Program and Pilot Project Program for the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute. She has been involved in many aspects of the team science initiatives at the local and national levels primarily in developing Team Science education and training initiatives for the translational science teams. She has served the INSciTS in different capacities over the last several years.

Dr. Ranwala has been a member of the Team Science Affinity Group that led to develop and disseminate a framework of individual and team competencies. Building upon that work, she is currently serving as a co-leader for the INSciTS Education and Training SIG’s Working Group “Mapping Team Science Competencies for Translational Science Teams Across the Lifespan” to develop team science competencies for three specific groups (Trainees and Faculty; Clinical Research Professionals; and Community Partners) and Co-Chair for the Workgroup’s Faculty and Trainees Group to identify relevant importance of the competencies and the level of mastery needed for individuals at each stage of their career progression. Findings of this work will help to develop education and training curricular for the three groups as well as assessment of team science competencies of the individuals. In addition, she served as the Co-Chair for the national CTSA Institutional Readiness for Team Science Workgroup, Academic Promotion and Tenure Workgroup, Lead for the Great CTSA Team Science Contest, and Chair for the Contest Judges/Judging Criteria Committee and helped to disseminate the findings. Dr. Ranwala has served as a faculty advisor, mentor, and scholar promulgating the concepts of Team Science. Further, she has served as planning committee member and an evaluation team member for the SciTS Conference committees.

Dr. Ranwala looks forward to working with the INSciTS Board to further advance the team science education and training to a broader community representing other disciplines such as bioengineering. Understanding of team science competencies and their relevance to specific group and discipline may improve team cohesion and functioning leading to more effective teams and outcomes.