The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

R-packages - best practices and useful tools

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In this episode, I’m joined once again by Daniel Sabanés Bové to talk all about R packages—why they’re so useful, when to create one, and how to do it effectively. Whether you’re just starting out with writing reusable functions or thinking about building a more robust and reusable R package, you’ll find plenty of hands-on advice in our discussion.

Daniel shares his experiences from working at Roche, Google, and now through his consultancy, Arconis. We dive into everything from writing clean and consistent code, to testing, documenting, and even promoting your package in the open-source world.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Statistics and Market access - from foes to friends

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In this episode, I welcome back Necdet Gunsoy, who’s now in a new role as the founder of EviMed, a boutique consultancy specializing in health economics, outcomes research, real-world evidence, and market access.

We dive into the often tense relationship between statisticians and market access professionals, exploring why these functions struggle to collaborate and, more importantly, how we can work together more effectively.

Beyond logic - how to convince others of your ideas

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In this episode of The Effective Statistician podcast, I dive into the art of persuasion. As statisticians and data scientists, we often rely on logic and data, but true influence requires more than just being right.

Drawing from ancient Greek philosophy, I explore the three pillars of persuasion—ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and pathos (emotion)—and share practical strategies to help you effectively convince others.

Whether you are presenting new methodologies, influencing key stakeholders, or advocating for change, this episode will equip you with essential communication skills to make a lasting impact.

P-value and confidence intervals - the good, the bad, and the ugly

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In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I sit down with Kaspar Rufibach to tackle a topic that affects statisticians every day—how to interpret p-values, confidence intervals, and statistical hypotheses.

We explore the differences between Fisher’s and Neyman-Pearson’s approaches, clear up common misconceptions, and discuss how misinterpreting statistical significance can lead to flawed conclusions.

Using real-world examples from clinical trials and drug development, we highlight best practices for communicating statistical results effectively.

Whether you're working with clinicians or business stakeholders, this episode will help you gain clarity on these fundamental statistical concepts and use them correctly in your daily work.

Building the Influence as a Statistician in a Clinical Trial Team

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In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I dive into a crucial skill—building influence within a clinical trial team. As statisticians, we often need to negotiate timelines, advocate for better analysis methods, and ensure clear communication across teams. The stronger our influence, the more impact we can have on study outcomes and, ultimately, patients.

I break down the key pillars of trust—care, character, and competence—and share practical strategies to help you collaborate effectively, align team priorities, and proactively tackle challenges.

Tune in and start building your influence today!

Effective self-management and taking care of your mental health

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I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage a heavy workload while maintaining mental well-being. In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I talk with Peter Wehmeier about the five key dimensions of self-management—building strong relationships, setting priorities, making decisions, and taking action.

We share practical strategies to reduce stress, strengthen resilience, and take control of both work and life. With insights from Peter’s upcoming workshops, this conversation offers valuable tools to help you stay balanced and productive.

Tune in to learn how to take charge of your future!

Taming AI for Biostatistics: Darko Medin on Bio AI Works & Reliable AI Models

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Welcome to another episode of The Effective Statistician! Today, I sit down with Darko Medin to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming biostatistics.

Darko works as a biostatistician for companies worldwide and builds digital solutions that push AI’s boundaries. We dive into Bio AI Works, the platform he’s developing to improve AI reliability and eliminate issues like hallucinations in large language models. Darko explains how AI can enhance statistical accuracy, uncover hidden data patterns, and accelerate breakthroughs in oncology and precision medicine.

If you want to understand how AI can revolutionize biostatistics while maintaining scientific rigor, this episode is for you. Let’s get started!

Slow Productivity

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In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I explore Slow Productivity by Cal Newport—a book that challenges how we think about work and efficiency.

I welcome Alun Bedding and Steve Mallett to discuss how statisticians can apply Newport’s principles: doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over quality.

We share our experiences with managing workloads, cutting unnecessary meetings, and focusing on meaningful work.

If you want to break free from the busyness trap and boost your impact, this episode is for you.

Behind the Scenes of Writing a Book About Casual Inference

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In this episode of The Effective Statistician, I talk with Justin Belair about the process of writing a book on causal inference, one of the hottest topics in statistics.

Justin explains how he discovered causal inference, what motivated him to write a hands-on technical book, and how he balances theory, real-world applications, and coding exercises. Having written a book myself, I know the challenges firsthand, so we dive into the strategies that make writing more effective.

If you want to learn more about causal inference, apply practical tools in your work, or even write a book yourself, this episode has plenty of insights and inspiration. Tune in and join the conversation!

About this podcast

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 important for the wider data scientists community.

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

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