International Women & Girls in Science Day: Working as a Statistician in Trials

Published on Wednesday, 05 February 2025

As a medical statistician at the NPEU Clinical Trials Unit, my role centres on designing, analysing, and interpreting data from clinical trials, with a specific focus on perinatal and neonatal health. These trials are critical for testing new treatment pathways, medications, and interventions to improve outcomes for mothers and babies during pregnancy, birth, and the neonatal period. The clinical field of neonatal health is particularly important, as it involves addressing complex challenges such as preterm birth, neonatal care interventions, and infant survival and development.

A typical day might involve developing statistical analysis plans, coding in statistical software (I often use R or Stata), running interim analyses, or presenting findings to a range of teams. The work is dynamic and intellectually stimulating, requiring a mix of technical expertise, problem-solving, and communication skills to explain complex statistical concepts in an accessible way.

How I Got Into This Role:

My interest in medical statistics started with a desire to understand how data could be used to make better decisions in healthcare. I pursued a Master's degree in Applied Statistical Modelling and Health Informatics at King's College London. During my studies, an elective clinical trials module sparked my interest in how statistical methods can address real-world challenges in health and medicine. My dissertation involved analysing patient data to predict outcomes, which deepened my interest in clinical applications of statistics.

Lessons Learned Over the Past Year:

Reflecting on the past year, one of the key lessons I've learned is the importance of adaptability. Clinical trials can be unpredictable—protocols change, data can be messy, and timelines are often tight. Being flexible and staying focused on the end goal has been invaluable. Another lesson is the power of collaboration. Clinical trials involve diverse teams with different expertise, and effective communication is essential. I've learned to appreciate the perspectives of clinicians and researchers, which has made me a better statistician.

What I Enjoy Most About My Role:

What I love most about being a medical statistician is knowing that my work contributes to improving people's lives. Analysing data to uncover meaningful patterns or trends that can influence medical decisions is incredibly rewarding. I also enjoy the diversity of the trials that I work on. Every project is unique, requiring tailored statistical approaches. This keeps the work fresh and exciting, as there is always something new to learn.

Advice for Aspiring Statisticians:

For any girls and women considering a career in statistics, especially in clinical trials, my advice is to go for it! Statistics is a versatile and in-demand field that opens doors to numerous opportunities. If you're passionate about problem-solving and enjoy working with data, this career can be immensely satisfying. I would also recommend gaining practical experience. Internships, research projects, or even self-initiated projects can give you valuable insights into how statistics is applied in real-world settings. Developing programming skills in software like R or STATA is also a huge asset.

On this International Women and Girls in Science Day, I encourage you to embrace your curiosity and passion for data, as you can play a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare.

Diya Bhandari
Medical Statistician