
The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI
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.
Latest episodes

Mar 31, 2025 • 27min
R-shiny - how to set it up effectively and avoid common mistakes
Interview with Daniel Sabanés Bové
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔ Why interactive visualizations are such a game changer
✔ How R-Shiny makes scenario planning and data exploration easier
✔ What to consider before you even start coding
✔ Common mistakes to avoid with larger Shiny apps
✔ How to structure your code for long-term success and maintainability
✔ Tips to improve usability and ensure better stakeholder engagement
**We also discuss**:
✔ The TEAL framework by Roche for clinical trial analysis
✔ How to use AI to quickly generate Shiny prototypes
✔ Tools like shinytest2 and the Shiny UI Editor
✔ Why designing for your user’s workflow is critical
✔ When it’s time to call in an expert for help
Resources & Links
👉 Shiny Apps:
teal framework
Lessons for Shiny Apps Tutorial
Shiny Assistant
Shiny UI Editor
Tours of Shiny apps
RPACT Cloud
🔗 Rconis
🔗 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.

Mar 27, 2025 • 19min
3 personal stories of how soft skills have helped me as a statistician
Dive into the transformative power of soft skills in statistics. Discover why traditional terms may be misleading and what they should be replaced with. Learn how trust can be established in just 15 minutes and hear a tale of a data visualization that received a standing ovation. Experience a negotiation win that redefined value perception. Explore how being part of a community can cultivate these essential skills, ultimately enhancing your impact as a statistician.

9 snips
Mar 24, 2025 • 21min
R-packages - best practices and useful tools
Daniel Sabanés Bové, a statistician from Roche and Google and founder of Arconis consulting, discusses the transformative power of creating R packages for code reuse and collaboration. He shares insights on overcoming common coding challenges and emphasizes that starting to write packages might happen sooner than you think. With tools like usethis and testthat, Sabanés walks through his process from idea to launch. He also highlights the vibrant R community, filled with creativity, collaboration, and fun elements like hex stickers.

Mar 20, 2025 • 17min
Delegating programming tasks - how SOPs help and hinder

Mar 17, 2025 • 44min
Statistics and Market access - from foes to friends
Interview with Necdet Gunsoy
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✔ Necdet’s Journey
✔ Breaking Down Key Market Access Concepts
✔ The Real Cost of Poor Collaboration
✔ How We Can Work Together More Effectively
✔ Looking Ahead: The Impact of Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA)
Why You Should Listen
If you work in biostatistics, health economics, or market access, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you collaborate more effectively. Whether you're a statistician looking to better support HTA submissions or a market access professional trying to understand statistical challenges, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies that can make a real difference.
Resources & Links
Resources & Links: 🔗 Necdet Gunsoy on LinkedIn🔗 EviMed🔗 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.

Mar 13, 2025 • 13min
Beyond logic - how to convince others of your ideas
Discover how logic alone falls short in persuasion. Learn the vital role emotions play in decision-making and why credibility is essential for influence. Get practical strategies to make your arguments resonate with different audiences, from clinical project managers to medical leaders. Uncover techniques for presenting innovative trial methodologies that captivate attention and build trust. Join a community of like-minded data leaders to further enhance your influencing skills.

Mar 10, 2025 • 33min
P-value and confidence intervals - the good, the bad, and the ugly
In this insightful discussion, Kaspar Rufibach, an expert in statistical hypothesis testing, dives into the often-misunderstood world of p-values and confidence intervals. He explores the historical debates between Fisher’s and Neyman-Pearson’s approaches, shedding light on their practical implications. Kaspar shares real-world examples from clinical trials, emphasizing the risks of misinterpretation and the importance of clear communication. His tips for applying statistical concepts effectively can enhance collaboration with clinicians and strengthen the integrity of research.

Mar 6, 2025 • 14min
Building the Influence as a Statistician in a Clinical Trial Team
Friday Episode with Alexander Schacht
Key Points:
Building Influence
Negotiation
Trust Pillars
Collaboration
Proactivity
Impact
Actionable Strategies
Building influence as a statistician isn’t just about being heard—it’s about driving better decisions, improving team dynamics, and ultimately making a greater impact on patient outcomes. The strategies I share in this episode will help you strengthen your influence, gain trust, and collaborate more effectively.
So don’t just listen—take action! Tune in now, and if you found this valuable, share it with friends and colleagues who can benefit. And if you’re serious about leveling up your leadership skills, check out the Medical Data Leaders Community (MDLC) for expert guidance and a network of like-minded professionals.

Mar 3, 2025 • 31min
Effective self-management and taking care of your mental health
In this engaging conversation, Peter M. Wehmeier, a psychiatrist specializing in anxiety and burnout, shares valuable insights on self-management and mental health. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and proactive strategies for reducing stress. Peter discusses the impact of relationships on well-being and effective communication techniques. Listeners will learn how to set priorities, make decisive actions, and the significance of resilience in overcoming challenges. His workshops aim to empower individuals to take charge of their mental health and cultivate healthier professional lives.

Feb 27, 2025 • 29min
Taming AI for Biostatistics: Darko Medin on Bio AI Works & Reliable AI Models
Darko Medin, a biostatistician specializing in AI products, dives into the challenges and innovations within biostatistics. He discusses the critical issues of AI hallucinations and the need for reliable outputs. Darko shares exciting applications in oncology and precision medicine, emphasizing the importance of validation and domain-specific rules to enhance model accuracy. The conversation also tackles the complexities of high-dimensional data and the vital balance between interpretability and explainability in AI models.