AIMS SIG - Open-Source Lunch Bites
Our monthly webinar series allows attendees to gain practical knowledge and skills in open-source coding and tools, with a focus on applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

I have had some good training in my career, but if I had to choose my favourite training course it has to be the PSI Introduction to Industry Course (ITIT), which I attended back in 1994-5. As a CRO statistician, it was very rewarding to get a wider understanding of the drug development process and other disciplines. The other great thing was that I didn’t even ask to be enrolled. My boss at the time (Ray Harris) knew its value and enrolled as soon as I joined his group.
I was therefore delighted to be asked to present at the first day on this year’s course on Monday 13th November at Eli Lilly, and to meet the new intake. Back in 1994/5 the chair at the time, the late Mick Godly, gave an excellent after dinner speech at a formal dinner in his DJ. Yes, things change, but the course continues to flourish. It is larger now with 26 delegates this year and it’s much more inclusive. It is open to all our members and it was great to talk to many statisticians and programmers on the day. Delegates had also joined from mainland Europe (Barcelona, Basel and Berlin). Another exciting development is that the course will be run in Gothenburg, Sweden this academic year and in three mainland European sites in 2018/2019. We hope that this makes the course even more accessible to all our European members.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the ITIT Committee (please see the picture above, left to right): Zelie Bailes (GSK), Sophie Dimonaco (Roche), Gareth Thomas (Envigo), Hoi-Shen Radcliffe (Amgen), Sophie Hodge (IQVIA), Anastasiia Raievska (Veramed), Ruth Lowe (PPD), Alex Godwood (MedImmune, chair ITIT). It is members like these, which make PSI so successful. Thank you also to Katie Thorn (Eli Lilly) who was the host organiser for this session.
I was also asked a good question after my presentation. One of our members wanted to know how Brexit will affect PSI. My simple answer is that it will not. PSI will continue to serve all its members across Europe. PSI will continue to be an international and outward looking organisation. The PSI Conference will continue to be rotated between mainland Europe and London, UK. We are also investing in video on demand to make our offerings more accessible. Training courses will also being repeated in mainland Europe.
Thank you to the ITIT Committee for inviting me. I had a lovely morning and it was a great honour to attend.
Nigel
Our monthly webinar series allows attendees to gain practical knowledge and skills in open-source coding and tools, with a focus on applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
Date: Ongoing 6 month cycle beginning late April/early May 2026 Are you a member of PSI looking to further your career or help develop others - why not sign up to the PSI Mentoring scheme? You can expand your network, improve your leadership skills and learn from more senior colleagues in the industry.
If you have read Ros Atkins’ book The Art of Explanation or want to listen to the BBC’s ‘Communicator in Chief’, you are invited to join the PSI Book Club Lunch and Learn, to discuss the content and application with the author, Ros Atkins. Having written the book within the context of the news industry, Ros is keen to hear how we have applied the ideas as statisticians within drug development and clinical trials. There will be dedicated time during the webinar to ASK THE AUTHOR any questions – don’t miss out on this exclusive PSI Book Club event! Haven’t read the book yet? Pick up a copy today and join us. Explanation - identifying and communicating what we want to say - is described as an art, in the title of his book. However, the creativity comes from Ros’ discernment in identifying and describing a clear step-by-step process to follow and practice. Readers can learn Ros’ rules, developed and polished throughout his career as a journalist, to help communicate complex written or spoken information clearly.
This course will consist of three online half-day workshops. The first will be aimed at building trust, the backbone of leadership and a key to becoming effective. This is key to building a solid foundation. The second will be on improving communication as a technical leader. This workshop will focus on communication strategies for different stakeholders and will involve tips on effective communication and how to develop the skills of active listening, coaching and what improv can teach us about good communication. The final workshop will bring these two components together to help leaders become more influential. This will also focus on how to use Steven Covey’s 7-Habits, in particular Habits 4, 5 and 6, which are called the habits of communication. The workshops will be interactive, allowing you to practice the concepts discussed. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. There will also be reflective time where you can think about what you are learning and how you might experiment with it.
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