The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

In this new episode, I and Guillaume Desachy delve into the world of R and its impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Guillaume, a Statistical Science Director at AstraZeneca in Sweden, shares his insights and experiences in fostering an R community within the company. Embarking on the exploration of Guillaume's journey in building the R at AstraZeneca community beckons a series of intriguing ques...

In the ever-evolving landscape of professional development, I've noticed that the term "strategy" is frequently thrown around, often without a clear understanding of its true meaning. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding often leads to the formulation of ineffective strategies, a topic explored by Richard Rumelt in his book Good Strategy/Bad Strategy. In that ancient conflict, Hannibal faced a Rom...

This time, I'm engaging in a conversation with Katharina, and I must say I'm thrilled to explore more on the topic of ethical statistics. In our previous discussion, we delved into the importance of ethical guidelines, particularly focusing on the ISI declaration of Ethics. Today, we aim to take things a step further – moving beyond declarations to the practical implementation of ethical statistic...

This is an extraordinary episode that takes us deep into the world of modern pharmaceutical research. Today, we are embarking on a captivating journey guided by the insightful dialogue between me and Elena Polverejan. Throughout this episode, we uncover the incredible potential of Estimands Framework, a revolutionary concept born from the collaborative efforts of brilliant minds dedicated to trans...

I'm thrilled to dive into a topic that has been untouched in the past 300 episodes - crossover studies. It's a classical design that offers unique advantages, yet it's often overlooked. Joining me today is Markus Savli, a biostatistician with a diverse background in biomedical engineering, mathematics, and epidemiology. Together, we'll explore the intricacies of crossover studies and their applica...

In the intricate world of statistics organizations, a common challenge often arises: how to balance increasing cost pressures while maintaining the quality and relevance of the produced tables. In this episode, I dive into this recurring scene, shedding light on the art of negotiation on the numbers of tables. I also talk about the following important points:

In today's episode, I discuss the crucial topic of risk management in clinical trials with guest Jess Thompson. Jess, the founder of the Association of Clinical Research Project Managers, shares her extensive experience in the field, emphasizing the importance of proactive risk identification and collaborative communication within project teams. The conversation delves into practical strategies fo...

In this episode, I interview Katharina Schueller, a statistician and entrepreneur, to discuss the importance of ethical guidelines for statisticians. Katharina shares her insights on the ethical aspects of statistics, the responsibilities of statisticians, and the relevance of the Declaration of Ethics by the International Statistics Institute (ISI). We explore various values, examples, and practi...

The modern working environment is defined by endless to-do lists, tight deadlines, and the expectation to do more with less. As employees struggle to manage the job responsibilities of 2 or 3 people, exhaustion happens first. Long working hours, with little to no downtime, lead to mental and physical fatigue. Working like this is harmful and not sustainable, but many of us keep going because of th...

Welcome to the third and last part of Moving from SAS to R where Thomas joined us again to talk about transitioning from SAS to R. We also discuss the new SAS to R course of The Effective Statistician and you’ll learn, if this is the right course for you. We provide a couple of learnings from the course for you to get an impression of what we cover in the course. Click here to get to the course ov...

This episode is the second part of Moving from SAS to R with Thomas. We also discuss the new SAS to R course of The Effective Statistician and you’ll learn, if this is the right course for you. We provide a couple of learnings from the course for you to get an impression of what we cover in the course. Click here to get to the course overview! https://theeffectivestatisticianleadershipprogram.teac...

The use of R in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry has been increasing over the years, with larger companies like Roche adopting it as their primary statistical software. Others like GSK, NovoNordisk, and Merck make heavy investments into it.  In this episode, Thomas Neitmann discusses various lessons from his career within pharma and the role R played in it. He provides insights into how...

The healthcare industry is constantly developing, and with it come new regulations and guidelines that businesses must adhere to. One regulation that has recently been set in Germany is the 15% threshold for relevant improvement for some endpoints used in clinical trials. Many have critiqued this threshold. It's important for all statisticians (not only for the market access experts) to understand...

The field of statistics is constantly growing and evolving, and with it, the expectations of young statisticians towards their management are also changing. Trust, accountability, and transparency are crucial elements in building a successful team, and they are especially important for young statisticians who are starting in their careers. In this episode, Evanthia, Arina, and I discuss the import...

Losing a job is never an easy experience. It can be especially challenging when it happens unexpectedly. Unfortunately, layoffs are a reality for many people in any stage of their career. Even if an individual has been working at the same company for years, they are surely not be immune to layoff decisions. That's why it's crucial to prepare in advance and build a safety net for job security. In t...

Podcasts have become a popular form of media for sharing information, telling stories, and building an audience. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of creating a successful podcast? Today, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Reine Escalona and Kacey Tunac, the podcast production and management team called VVS, who works alongside this successful podcast - The Effective...

You have to be extroverted to be a leader.  Only if you have employees are you a leader. Either you have it or you don't. Leaders have a natural gift, you can't learn it. Those are three typical myths about leaders. In today's episode, I talk with Gary about these three false beliefs. We point out why they're false and give some counterexamples. We also discuss why they limit your development and...

Personal growth is an integral part of every individual’s life. It is a continuous process of self-improvement, learning, and self-discovery. As a statistician or statistician enthusiast, you should always be on a quest for personal and professional development. The journey towards growth is unique, and understanding yourself is a critical step towards achieving your potential. In this 300th episo...

Transcript [00:00:00] Alexander: Welcome to a new episode of The Effective Statistician, and today I'm super excited to talk with Sheila about her project that I think is a really important part in the overall puzzle of developing new medicines, new diagnostics, and all kind of other things in our world of healthcare. Welcome to the show, Sheila. [00:00:30] Sheila: Thanks Alexander. So happy to be...

In part 1 of this series, we explored the perspectives on commercializing statistical inventions, leveraging external resources, collaboration, and setting up a community of statistical methodology leaders. Innovation is essential for advancing drug development, and statisticians play a vital role in driving statistical innovation. However, to overcome the barriers to innovation, statisticians nee...

Statistical innovation is vital in the pharmaceutical industry as it drives evidence-based decisions and brings value to patients. However, it requires a delicate balance between invention and commercialization to achieve success. I, together with Mouna Akacha and Kaspar Rufibach - two leaders of statistical innovation groups in big pharma companies, share their insights on the barriers and strate...

In any industry, staying competitive and relevant requires a constant focus on innovation and the ability to communicate effectively with customers. In the pharmaceutical industry, this is particularly true as companies race to develop and market new compounds that can improve patient outcomes. In this episode, I share insights into the importance of effective data communication for success in thi...