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PODCAST

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

Alexander Schacht and Benjamin Piske, biometricians, statisticians and leaders in the pharma industry

The podcast from statisticians for statisticians to have a bigger impact at work. This podcast is set up in association with PSI - Promoting Statistical Insight. This podcast helps you to grow your leadership skills, learn about ongoing discussions in the scientific community, build you knowledge about the health sector and be more efficient at work. This podcast helps statisticians at all levels with and without management experience. It is targeted towards the health, but lots of topics will be

science natural sciences

All Episodes

27:47

How to Make Statistics Click with Schools Outreach...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/09/28

How can we make statistics meaningful to someone who does not work with it every day? I talk with Steve Mallett about his work with the PSI Schools team and the lessons it offers for training colleagues in pharma. We explore how hands-on activities, interactive data visualization, and a clear understanding of the audience can help people connect statistical concepts to patients and speak about results with greater confidence.

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24:32

Will AI Replace Statisticians? The Future of...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/09/07

Will artificial intelligence make statisticians obsolete—or make our expertise even more valuable?In this episode, I speak with independent statistical consultant Chris Harbron about how AI could reshape the role of statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry. Our conversation builds on Chris’s paper, Will the Pharmaceutical Industry Need Statisticians in an AI World? We explore what happens when AI generates protocols, statistical analysis plans, programs, and reports. We also discuss why

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20:51

How to Build an Effective Patient-Reported Outcome...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/09/01

How can we build a patient-reported outcome strategy that captures the patient voice and strengthens clinical development?In this episode of The Effective Statistician Podcast, I speak with Julia Poritz, Senior Research Consultant on Cytel’s Evidence, Value, and Access team, about developing and implementing an effective patient-reported outcome (PRO) strategy for clinical trials. We discuss how PROs help us understand the effects of a disease and its treatment from the patient’s

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18:25

How the R Consortium Is Transforming Regulatory...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/08/11

In this episode, I talk with Ning Leng, Ph.D., Director II, Data and AI Acceleration Group, Data & Statistical Sciences at AbbVie, about the growing role of the R Consortium in the pharmaceutical industry.Ning brings extensive experience in statistics, computational genomics, open-source technology, and the adoption of R across the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining AbbVie, she spent 10 years at Roche Genentech, where she helped drive the adoption of R, cloud technologies, Git, and Shiny. We

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25:01

Project Optimus and what you need to know about it

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/07/21

Cancer treatments have changed dramatically over the past decade, but have our dose-finding strategies kept pace?In this episode, I speak with Dr. Ayon Mukherjee, who leads statistical innovation in early oncology development at Eli Lilly. Together, we explore Project Optimus, the FDA initiative that is changing how we think about dose optimization in oncology. Instead of simply finding the highest dose patients can tolerate, Project Optimus encourages us to identify the dose that provides the

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35:40

Unlocking Growth: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/06/30

In this insightful interview, Emma May and Alun Bedding explore the nuances of coaching and mentoring, sharing personal stories, frameworks, and practical tips to enhance professional growth. Discover how these powerful tools can transform statisticians' careers and foster leadership development.

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28:41

Understanding and Mitigating Endpoint Bias in...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/06/09

External control arms are becoming increasingly important in drug development, but creating valid comparisons requires more than matching patient populations.In this episode, I speak with Ben Ackerman, Director of Real-World Biostatistics at GSK, about one of the most overlooked challenges in external control arm studies: endpoint bias. We discuss why differences in how outcomes are measured can influence study results, what researchers should consider when designing studies, and how the field is

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31:52

The Future of Statistical Methodology in Drug...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/06/02

This episode features three leading statistical methodology experts discussing the role, impact, and future of methodology groups in the pharmaceutical industry. They explore organizational structures, skill sets, AI integration, and strategies to accelerate adoption of innovative methods.

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23:24

Rethinking Programming Validation and Traceability in...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/05/26

In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I speak with Andrew (Andy) York about the evolving world of programming validation, traceability, and quality assurance in clinical trials. Andy has decades of experience in statistical programming, leadership roles across pharma and CROs, and now works with AI-driven solutions focused on improving validation and traceability.

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33:16

How Applied Improvisation Develops and Reinforces...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/05/04

In this episode, Alun Bedding speaks with Richard Zink about how **applied improvisation** can help statisticians become more effective communicators and leaders.They explore how improv techniques—like “yes, and,” active listening, and embracing mistakes—build confidence, strengthen collaboration, and improve the way we explain complex ideas. This conversation shows that developing interpersonal skills doesn’t have to be theoretical or boring—it can be practical, interactive, and even fun. If you

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32:12

What does a clinical lead expect from a statistician?

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/04/27

Episode Overview In this episode, I speak with Anna Mosikian, a physician by training and Global Clinical Program Lead working at the intersection of clinical development and strategic marketing. Anna brings a powerful perspective on how clinical data translates into real-world value—bridging evidence generation, regulatory expectations, and commercial impact. We dive into what clinical leaders truly expect from statisticians and how statisticians can move from technical contributors to strategic

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27:51

Measuring Trust – A Key to Effective Leadership

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/04/21

Trust is one of the most fundamental elements of effective leadership—and yet, most organizations don’t measure it properly.In this episode, I speak again with my good friend Alun Bedding about how we can move from talking about trust to actually quantifying and improving it. We explore why trust is essential for collaboration, leadership, and performance, and what happens when it’s missing. We also dive into practical tools like the Leadership Trust Index, how to interpret trust as a lead

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41:26

Choosing and Interpreting PROs and COAs – A Guide for...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/04/17

In this episode, I sit down with Rachael Lawrance to dive into a topic that has become absolutely central to clinical research: patient-centered outcomes. When I first started as a statistician, I knew these measures existed—but I didn’t really understand how they were developed, analyzed, or used in decision-making. That has changed dramatically over the years. Today, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and the broader framework of clinical outcome assessments (COAs) play a key role in regulatory

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39:15

How Statisticians Can Build Trust and Lead with...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/03/23

pisode SummaryIn this episode of The Effective Statistician, Alun Bedding speaks with Emma May about the skills that truly differentiate effective statisticians from great leaders. While technical expertise remains essential, success in today’s environment increasingly depends on the ability to build trust, communicate effectively, and lead with emotional intelligence. Drawing from their joint leadership workshops, Alun and Emma explore how statisticians can develop these capabilities and apply

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33:08

The Evolving Role of Generative AI in Pharma

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/01/20

Generative AI is moving fast—and in pharma, it’s no longer just a buzzword. In this episode of The Effective Statistician Podcast, I speak with Manuel Cossio about how Generative AI is already being applied in real-world pharma settings, where it’s delivering value today, and what still needs careful consideration in regulated environments.Manuel brings a unique hybrid background, combining molecular biology, genetics, pharma experience, and deep AI engineering expertise. He works at the cutting

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2:14

Kicking Off 2026: Gratitude and What’s Ahead

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2026/01/06

As we start 2026, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has been part of The Effective Statistician podcast. This episode features my co-host, Alun Bedding, reflecting on the past year and sharing thanks on behalf of both of us.From our listeners who tune in, share episodes, and engage with the content, to our guests who generously share their expertise and real-world experiences — your participation makes this podcast both insightful and practical for

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36:23

Why to present better and how as a statistician

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2025/12/01

In this episode, I talk with my long-time friend and frequent guest, Kaspar Rufibach, about a skill that quietly determines how much impact we really have: presenting and communicating our work.We walk through how Kaspar prepares his talks (including why he starts months in advance), how he structures messages so stakeholders actually remember and act on them, and why overcrowded slides are often just a sign that we haven’t done the hard thinking yet. We also get honest about something many

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26:51

External control arms - how to get to a good one

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2025/11/27

In this episode, I’m joined by Deepa Jahagirdar, Associate Research Principal at Cytel, to explore what it really takes to build a good external control arm (ECA). Deepa brings a fascinating background from social epidemiology, where causal questions often need to be answered without running randomized trials. That experience translates directly into today’s growing need for ECAs, especially when we rely on real-world data to support single-arm trials, extension phases, or situations where

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40:19

Top 9: Non-parametric analyses - much more than just...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2025/11/10

Why this episode made our all-time Top 9: If you’ve ever thought “non-parametric = Wilcoxon/Mann-Whitney and that’s it,” this conversation will happily destroy that myth. Frank shows how rank-based methods unlock rigorous analyses for skewed data, outliers, ordinal endpoints, small samples, composites/estimands—and how to communicate effects without relying on means.

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24:20

How to communicate results from adaptive studies...

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI ·

2025/10/27

Adaptive designs let us learn earlier, stop smarter, and protect patients—but they also make communication tricky. In this episode, Kaspar Rufibach and I dig into what “still correct” looks like when you try to explain results from group-sequential and other adaptive trials to regulators, clinicians, and scientific audiences. We unpack conditional vs. unconditional bias, median-unbiased estimation, stage-wise ordering for p-values, confidence intervals in multi-stage settings, and what to do with

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