The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

By Alexander Schacht and Benjamin Piske, biometricians, statisticians and leaders in the pharma industryScience Natural Sciences

The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI episodes

May 04How Applied Improvisation Develops and Reinforces Interpersonal Skills
A Conversation with Alun Bedding and Richard Zink
In this episode, I hand over the mic to Alun Bedding, who speaks with Richard Zink about a topic that might surprise many statisticians: applied improvisation.
At first glance, improv may seem unrelated to statistics or leadership. But as Richard shares his journey—from a biostatistician and software developer to an improv practitioner—it becomes clear how powerful these skills are for communication, collaboration, and leadership.
We explore how improv techniques help you think on your feet, listen deeply, support others, and communicate more effectively—all critical skills for statisticians working in complex, cross-functional environments.
**Why You Should Listen
**
If you’ve ever struggled with:
Explaining complex ideas clearly
Speaking confidently in meetings
Engaging non-statistical stakeholders
Feeling held back by imposter syndrome
…then this episode is for you.
Applied improvisation offers a practical, hands-on way to strengthen interpersonal skills—without boring theory. Instead of reading about communication, you experience it.
**You’ll learn:
**
Why communication—not technical skill—is often the real bottleneck
How improv builds confidence and reduces fear of mistakes
Why “yes, and…” can transform conversations and teamwork
How body language alone can make or break your message
**Episode Highlights
**
00:00 – Introduction to Applied Improvisation
Why improv is more than comedy—and why it matters for statisticians
03:00 – Richard’s Journey into Improv
From watching Whose Line Is It Anyway? to teaching scientists
06:30 – Thinking on Your Feet & Team Collaboration
Why improv is not about you—it’s about building ideas together
08:20 – “Yes, And” and “I’ve Got Your Back”
Core improv principles that strengthen communication and trust
10:20 – You Don’t Need to Be Funny
Why authenticity matters more than humor
12:00 – Why Statisticians Need Interpersonal Skills
Great ideas go nowhere if you can’t communicate them
14:30 – Learning Through Play
Why improv exercises outperform traditional leadership training
18:30 – Online vs. In-Person Improv
How improvisation works even in virtual settings
20:40 – What to Expect from the PSI Workshop
Interactive exercises, reflection, and real-world application
22:30 – The “Gibberish” Exercise
A powerful lesson: communication goes far beyond words
24:20 – Simplicity in Communication
How to make ideas memorable for non-statisticians
26:00 – Improv and Presentation Skills
Reducing fear and embracing mistakes
27:30 – Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
How improv builds confidence over time
30:10 – Final Advice: Rethinking Mistakes
Mistakes are not failures—they’re opportunities for growth
**Resources & Links
**
Connect with Richard Zink on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-c-zink/
Learn more about PSI and their events: PSI https://postpartum.net/professionals/psi-conference/
Explore training opportunities in applied improvisation https://ww3.aievolution.com/JSMAnnual2025/Events/viewEv?ev=4318
34 min
April 27What does a clinical lead expect from a statistician?
A Conversation with Anna Mosikian
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 partners.
Why You Should Listen
If you want to become a more effective statistician—not just technically strong but highly valued in your organization—this episode is for you.
You’ll learn how to:
Build real partnerships with clinical leaders
Increase your influence in decision-making
Communicate your work in a way that drives action
Think beyond analysis and into impact
Episode Highlights
00:01:30 – Anna’s unique journey from physician to pharma leadership
00:03:25 – A surprising expectation clinical leads have of statisticians
00:04:21 – The one mindset shift that changes how you approach trials
00:06:16 – How to create a culture where ideas actually get heard
00:08:40 – A common blind spot in clinical trials you might overlook
00:12:59 – Why waiting for the “perfect idea” can hold you back
00:17:15 – A simple test to check if you truly understand your work
00:20:39 – What really builds trust across teams
00:22:32 – The question you should always ask—but most don’t
00:25:49 – Why exploration matters more than you think
00:26:19 – A major industry shift impacting how trials are designed
00:30:35 – Final advice on becoming a standout statistician
33 min
April 21Measuring Trust – A Key to Effective Leadership
A Conversation with Alun Bedding
Why You Should Listen
You want to build stronger, trust-based relationships at work
You’re leading teams and want measurable ways to improve culture
You want to understand how trust impacts retention and performance
You’re tired of “soft” leadership topics without concrete actions
You want practical frameworks you can apply immediately
Highlights (with Timestamps)
01:31 – Why trust is the foundation of everything
You can’t influence, negotiate, or collaborate effectively without trust.
02:01 – If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it
Why trust needs to be treated like any other measurable concept.
03:29 – Trust across all relationships
From leadership to cross-functional teams and clients.
04:29 – The cost of low trust
Feeling unsafe, guarded, and unable to speak openly.
05:27 – Organizations say trust matters—but don’t measure it
A critical gap in leadership practice.
06:25 – The clinical trial analogy
Why unclear measurement leads to ineffective improvement.
07:25 – Start by removing trust-destroying behaviors
Often the fastest way to improve trust.
08:19 – Trust as a lead measure
How it predicts outcomes like engagement and retention.
10:16 – Evidence: why trust drives performance
Lower stress, higher productivity, and better retention.
11:14 – The Leadership Trust Index
A structured way to measure trust within organizations.
13:38 – How to implement trust surveys
Best practices for response rates and anonymity.
16:04 – Action builds trust—not surveys alone
Why leadership follow-through matters most.
18:21 – Trust is built through consistent delivery
Doing what you say—every time.
20:41 – The 3 Cs of trust
Character, care, and competence.
22:32 – Simple ways to build trust today
Listen actively, show appreciation, and understand others.
24:00 – Bringing trust measurement into your organization
From workshops to coaching and continuous improvement.
26:25 – Final takeaway
Trust is measurable—and that makes it actionable.
28 min
April 17Choosing and Interpreting PROs and COAs – A Guide for Clinical Trial Statisticians
Interview with Rachael Lawrance
**
Why You Should Listen
**
**If you work in clinical trials or healthcare analytics, this episode will help you:
**
Understand why patient perspectives are now central—not optional
Learn the difference between PROs and COAs, and when each matters
See how questionnaires are scientifically developed and validated
Improve how you select, analyze, and interpret endpoints
Avoid common pitfalls when using patient-reported data
Episode Highlights
00:00 – Introduction and background to the episode
01:31 – Rachael’s journey into patient-centered outcomes
03:24 – Why PROs have become central to drug development
05:18 – What COAs are and how they extend beyond PROs
05:46 – The four types of COAs explained
08:58 – Generic vs disease-specific questionnaires
13:16 – How PRO instruments are developed and validated
15:06 – What “meaningful change” really means
17:02 – Using Phase II data to inform Phase III endpoints
18:24 – FDA expectations and guidance on PROs
21:47 – Using the estimand framework for patient-centered endpoints
23:15 – What “psychometrically sound” actually means
31:16 – How I would choose the right PRO or COA for a trial
34:01 – Avoiding missing data and reducing patient burden
37:18 – Key takeaways on interpreting patient-reported data
About the Guest
Rachael Lawrance
Senior Director & Functional Lead Statistics, Patient-Centered Outcomes (PCO), Adelphi Values
Rachael is a highly experienced statistician specializing in patient-centered outcomes. She works across the full lifecycle of PRO development—from qualitative research and questionnaire design to statistical validation and interpretation.
With a background in pharma and consultancy, she focuses on bridging the gap between rigorous statistical methodology and meaningful patient insights.
🔗 Links & References
Adelphi Values
The Effective Statistician
PSI Conference 2026
FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) Guidance Series
PRO Consortium (PRO-C) resources
42 min
March 23How Statisticians Can Build Trust and Lead with Emotional Intelligence
A Conversation with Alun Bedding and Emma May
Why You Should Listen
You want to grow into a leadership role as a statistician
You’re looking to improve communication and influence
You want to better understand emotional intelligence in practice
You aim to build trust and psychological safety within your team
You want actionable leadership strategies you can apply immediately
What You Will Learn in This Episode
Why emotional intelligence is critical for leadership effectiveness
How to recognize and manage your own emotional responses
The importance of psychological safety and how to create it
Why coaching is more effective than giving answers
How trust underpins influence and team performance
The role of growth mindset in continuous development
Practical communication techniques including the power of silence
Episode Highlights
[00:02:00] A non-linear path into statistics
Emma shares how she “fell into” statistics and discovered her passion for people development.
[00:04:00] Beyond technical expertise
Why communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills are essential complements to technical knowledge.
[00:06:00] Emotional intelligence and career success
How EQ contributes significantly to leadership effectiveness and workplace performance.
[00:07:00] Understanding emotions in practice
Recognizing and managing emotions both your own and others’.
[00:10:00] The role of instinct vs rational thinking
How immediate emotional reactions influence behavior and decision-making.
[00:12:00] Creating psychological safety in teams
Using structured agreements to foster openness and trust.
[00:18:00] Speaking up and being brave
Why courage is essential for maintaining trust and integrity.
[00:22:00] From advising to coaching
Shifting from giving solutions to asking the right questions.
[00:25:00] Leadership as partnership
Working collaboratively rather than solving problems alone.
[00:28:00] Trust as the foundation of leadership
Why trust is essential for influence and effectiveness.
[00:30:00] Developing a growth mindset
Learning from feedback and reframing failure as progress.
[00:34:00] The value of humility in leadership
Why saying “I don’t know” can strengthen credibility.
[00:36:00] One key leadership habit curiosity
Asking questions and actively listening to understand others.
[00:37:00] The power of silence
How creating space in conversations leads to deeper insights.
About the Guest
Emma May
Emma May is a statistician and leadership coach with a strong focus on professional development. Her work centers on helping individuals build the human skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, and trust that complement technical expertise and enable long-term career success.
40 min
January 20 The Evolving Role of Generative AI in Pharma
A conversation with Manuel Cossio, Director Global AI at Cytel
Why You Should Listen:
If you’re curious about Generative AI but unsure how it truly fits into clinical development, medical writing, or statistical programming, this episode will give you clarity.
We talk openly about:
✔ What’s actually working right now in pharma
✔ Where GenAI can save significant time and reduce burnout
✔ How to use AI safely in regulated environments
✔ What to watch out for when it comes to hallucinations, governance, and data protection
Whether you’re a statistician, programmer, data scientist, or biometrics leader, this episode will help you see where AI can realistically support your work—and where human expertise remains essential.
Links:
🔗 The Effective Statistician Academy – I offer free and premium resources to help you become a more effective statistician.
🔗 Medical Data Leaders Community – Join my network of statisticians and data leaders to enhance your influencing skills.
🔗 My New Book: How to Be an Effective Statistician - Volume 1 – It’s packed with insights to help statisticians, data scientists, and quantitative professionals excel as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in healthcare and medicine.
🔗 PSI (Statistical Community in Healthcare) – Access webinars, training, and networking opportunities.
Join the Conversation:
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with your colleagues and let me know your thoughts! Connect with me on LinkedIn and be part of the discussion.
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Effective Statistician on your favorite podcast platform and continue growing your influence as a statistician.
34 min
January 06Kicking Off 2026: Gratitude and What’s Ahead
Celebrating our community and looking ahead to a new year of insights
In this episode:
A heartfelt thank you to listeners for their support and engagement
Appreciation for guests who share practical insights and experiences
Recognition of Reine and the production team for their behind-the-scenes contributions
A glimpse at what’s coming to The Effective Statistician in 2026
An invitation to follow, subscribe, and share ideas for future episodes
If you enjoy The Effective Statistician, please follow or subscribe on your preferred platform, and leave a comment. Your feedback and ideas help shape the future of the podcast, and I’m excited to continue this journey with you in 2026.
Thank you for being part of our community!
Links:
🔗 The Effective Statistician Academy – I offer free and premium resources to help you become a more effective statistician.
🔗 Medical Data Leaders Community – Join my network of statisticians and data leaders to enhance your influencing skills.
🔗 My New Book: How to Be an Effective Statistician - Volume 1 – It’s packed with insights to help statisticians, data scientists, and quantitative professionals excel as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in healthcare and medicine.
🔗 PSI (Statistical Community in Healthcare) – Access webinars, training, and networking opportunities.
Join the Conversation:
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with your colleagues and let me know your thoughts! Connect with me on LinkedIn and be part of the discussion.
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Effective Statistician on your favorite podcast platform and continue growing your influence as a statistician.
3 min
December 01, 2025Why to present better and how as a statistician
A conversation with Kaspar Rufibach
Why You Should Listen:
✔ By the end of this episode, you’ll:
✔ Pick up concrete steps to improve your presentation skills over time: feedback, recordings, formal training, and deliberate practice.
✔ See why communication is leadership – and why “you can’t lead if you can’t communicate” really applies to statisticians.
✔ Learn how to start a presentation: from a blank sheet to a clear set of 2–4 key messages your audience will actually remember.
✔ Rethink slide design so your slides support you—instead of becoming an information dump that competes with your voice.
✔ Understand the crucial difference between academic talks (“what I did”) and business presentations (“what we should do now and why”).
Get practical ideas to prepare earlier, present shorter, and focus on what your audience truly needs to hear.
Episode highlights with timestamps
[00:02:00] Why presentations matter more than you think
Kaspar shares why statisticians can’t “hide behind the numbers” if they want real impact.
[00:03:00] How Kaspar actually starts a talk
From a blank sheet of paper to a small set of key messages.
[00:07:45] The problem with crowded slides
Why most slide decks try to do the wrong job—and what Kaspar does instead.
[00:14:00] Presentations, reputation, and wasted time
How the way you present shapes your personal brand with colleagues and leaders.
[00:18:00] When leaders don’t care about your methods
The shift from “here’s what I did” to “here’s what we should do.”
[00:20:45] Starting with your conclusion
How leading with recommendations can save you when your time is suddenly cut.
[00:23:30] Simple habits to become a better presenter
Small changes Kaspar says you can start using in your next talk.
[00:29:00] Dealing with fear and staying authentic
Why there are no “natural born presenters” and what really helps you improve.
[00:33:00] Kaspar’s three core principles
The key ideas he hopes every statistician remembers after this episode.
Links:
🔗 The Effective Statistician Academy – I offer free and premium resources to help you become a more effective statistician.
🔗 Medical Data Leaders Community – Join my network of statisticians and data leaders to enhance your influencing skills.
🔗 My New Book: How to Be an Effective Statistician - Volume 1 – It’s packed with insights to help statisticians, data scientists, and quantitative professionals excel as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in healthcare and medicine.
🔗 PSI (Statistical Community in Healthcare) – Access webinars, training, and networking opportunities.
Join the Conversation:
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with your colleagues and let me know your thoughts! Connect with me on LinkedIn and be part of the discussion.
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Effective Statistician on your favorite podcast platform and continue growing your influence as a statistician.
37 min
November 27, 2025 External control arms - how to get to a good one
A conversation with Deepa Jahagirdar
Why Listen
✔ You want a clearer understanding of when and why ECAs make sense.
✔ You’re dealing with real-world data and need a practical framework for selecting the right source.
✔ You’ve heard the term target trial emulation, but want to understand how it’s applied in real projects.
✔ You want to strengthen the causal credibility of your studies without relying solely on randomized trials.
✔ You want simple, actionable principles for handling confounding and unmeasured bias.
Episode Highlights:
[00:00] – Setting the stage
I introduce the topic of external control arms and why they’re more widely relevant than many statisticians think.
[01:35] – Introducing Deepa
Deepa shares her path from social epidemiology into designing and supporting ECA studies at Cytel.
[03:00] – Why ECAs are fascinating
We talk about how methods used to study policies without RCTs translate into clinical research.
[04:00] – Where ECAs show up
I walk through common scenarios—from rare diseases to extension studies—where external controls add value.
[07:30] – Choosing the right real-world data
Deepa explains how she approaches data selection depending on disease, outcomes, and feasibility.
[10:20] – Target trial emulation
We discuss how designing the “ideal RCT” guides everything that follows when constructing an ECA.
[16:30] – Handling confounding
Deepa explains the role of expert knowledge, DAGs, and standard adjustment approaches.
[21:20] – Thinking about unmeasured confounding
We talk about assessing robustness and understanding how much bias it would take to overturn your results.
[24:20] – Final takeaways
Deepa highlights the importance of focusing on the big causal question and overall robustness—not perfection.
Links:
🔗 The Effective Statistician Academy – I offer free and premium resources to help you become a more effective statistician.
🔗 Medical Data Leaders Community – Join my network of statisticians and data leaders to enhance your influencing skills.
🔗 My New Book: How to Be an Effective Statistician - Volume 1 – It’s packed with insights to help statisticians, data scientists, and quantitative professionals excel as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in healthcare and medicine.
🔗 PSI (Statistical Community in Healthcare) – Access webinars, training, and networking opportunities.
Join the Conversation:
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with your colleagues and let me know your thoughts! Connect with me on LinkedIn and be part of the discussion.
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Effective Statistician on your favorite podcast platform and continue growing your influence as a statistician.
**Episode Highlights:
**
[00:00] – Setting the stage
I introduce the topic of external control arms and why they’re more widely relevant than many statisticians think.
[01:35] – Introducing Deepa
Deepa shares her path from social epidemiology into designing and supporting ECA studies at Cytel.
[03:00] – Why ECAs are fascinating
We talk about how methods used to study policies without RCTs translate into clinical research.
[04:00] – Where ECAs show up
I walk through common scenarios—from rare diseases to extension studies—where external controls add value.
[07:30] – Choosing the right real-world data
Deepa explains how she approaches data selection depending on disease, outcomes, and feasibility.
[10:20] – Target trial emulation
We discuss how designing the “ideal RCT” guides everything that follows when constructing an ECA.
[16:30] – Handling confounding
Deepa explains the role of expert knowledge, DAGs, and standard adjustment approaches.
[21:20] – Thinking about unmeasured confounding
We talk about assessing robustness and understanding how much bias it would take to overturn your results.
[24:20] – Final takeaways
27 min
November 10, 2025Top 9: Non-parametric analyses - much more than just the Wilcoxon test!
Interview with Frank Konietschke
Why You Should Listen:
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.
You’ll walk away with:
✔ Non-parametric ≠ one test: A broad toolkit for two-group, multi-group, longitudinal, factorial, and covariate-adjusted designs.
✔ When ranks shine: Ordinal scales, heavy skew, small n (e.g., preclinical/animal studies), outliers, composite endpoints under the estimand framework.
✔ Interpretable effects without means: The probability-based “relative treatment effect”—“What’s the chance a random patient on A does better than a random patient on B?”
✔ Link to parametrics (when you must): How the rank-based effect relates to standardized mean differences under normality.
✔ Presenting results: Confidence intervals for rank-based effects and clean visualizations.
✔ Software exists: SAS macros and R packages for rank-based models (plus pointers to Frank’s book).
✔ Missing data & estimands: Practical thinking about composite strategies, treatment policy, and ongoing research for rank methods with missingness.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 – 03:31 | Welcome & setup
TES resources, PSI community, and why innovative methods often struggle with adoption.
03:32 – 06:00 | Meet Frank
From Göttingen to Munich, Texas, and back to Berlin; preclinical research focus.
06:01 – 09:11 | What are non-parametric analyses?
No strict distributional model; works for metric, ordinal, and binary data.
09:12 – 12:13 | Why ranks?
Small samples, unknown distributions; robustness when outliers occur.
12:14 – 14:35 | Where ranks are the better choice
Ordinal ratings (A/B/C/… without meaningful distances), outliers, skew, composites.
14:36 – 21:18 | Defining the treatment effect without means
Relative treatment effect as a probability (e.g., 60% = in 60% of random pairings, new treatment is better).
Connection to parametric world under normality assumptions.
21:19 – 23:13 | How to present it
Confidence intervals for rank-based effects and clear plots.
23:14 – 30:18 | Beyond two groups
Multi-arm trials, repeated measures, factorial designs, covariate adjustments; pseudo-ranks and why unweighted references improve interpretability and power properties.
30:19 – 35:33 | Missing data, real-world setups & estimands
Practical strategies (composites, treatment policy) and active research on rank methods with missingness.
35:34 – 39:41 | Collaboration & wrap-up
Research networks, software, and how statisticians can lead method adoption.
References:
Book: Brunner, E., Bathke, A.C., Konietschke, F. (2019). Rank and Pseudo-Rank Procedures for Independent Observations in Factorial Designs -Using R and SAS. Springer
Brunner, E., Konietschke, F., Pauly, M., & Puri, M. L. (2017). Rank‐based procedures in factorial designs: hypotheses about non‐parametric treatment effects. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology), 79(5), 1463-1485.
Konietschke, F., Bathke, A. C., Hothorn, L. A., & Brunner, E. (2010). Testing and estimation of purely nonparametric effects in repeated measures designs. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 54(8), 1895-1905.
Konietschke, F., Hothorn, L. A., & Brunner, E. (2012). Rank-based multiple test procedures and simultaneous confidence intervals. Electronic Journal of Statistics, 6, 738-759.
Konietschke, F., Harrar, S. W., Lange, K., & Brunner, E. (2012). Ranking procedures for matched pairs with missing data—asymptotic theory and a small sample approximation. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 56(5), 1090-1102.
Links:
🔗 The Effective Statistician Academy – I offer free and premium resources to help you become a more effective statistician.
🔗 Medical Data Leaders Community – Join my network of statisticians and data leaders to enhance your influencing skills.
🔗 My New Book: How to Be an Effective Statistician - Volume 1 – It’s packed with insights to help statisticians, data scientists, and quantitative professionals excel as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in healthcare and medicine.
🔗 PSI (Statistical Community in Healthcare) – Access webinars, training, and networking opportunities.
Join the Conversation:
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with your colleagues and let me know your thoughts! Connect with me on LinkedIn and be part of the discussion.
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Effective Statistician on your favorite podcast platform and continue growing your influence as a statistician.
41 min

About The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI

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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…