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Your work sits at the intersection of data science and real-world evidence. How do you keep patients’ needs and day-to-day realities front of mind when you are deep in data and methods?
You work with complex datasets to answer real-world questions. Can you share an example where the data revealed something important about patients’ experiences that wasn’t obvious from traditional clinical outcomes?
Methodological choices can change the story the data tells. How do you achieve balance between statistical rigour and making sure the insights remain meaningful and accessible for patients and advocacy groups?
Two things pop out for me here: first, methodology is almost never neutral; and second, statistical rigour is actually a form of respect for patients. On methodology, the topic that hooked me into stats and epidemiology was cancer screening. It’s the fascinating example of how different groups can look at the same body of evidence and reach vastly different conclusions. The decisions we make throughout the design-to-analysis pipeline have real-world consequences, which is why we have to be transparent. For patients and partners to trust the findings, we need to be able to defend and ‘show our workings’, not hide behind the vaguaries of black boxes. On respect, think through the gravity of what an incorrect insight can lead to. Flawed drug approvals, unrecognised risks, or even direct harm. If you’re slapshod with your stats, you’re doing a disservice to the people who provided that data in the first place. They are the ones waiting for these insights to improve their lives. For me, it’s then articulating the ‘so what?’. We don’t simplify the science, but we do sharpen the communications. We make it accessible by focusing on the outcomes that actually matter, backed by evidence they can trust because they know we’ve done the hard work properly.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing to switch off, and does any of it influence how you think about problem solving or collaboration at Vitaccess?
To switch off, I usually take my dog, Jazz, out on a ramble and/or head to the gym. I find that wandering without a rigid plan or getting properly ‘out of puff’ is a wonderful way to clear out the cobwebs and make some space for those random waves of inspiration. They’re rare, but I do really value them when they arrive! When I’m not outdoors, I read a lot, and my Kindle library is somewhat eclectic… I spend a lot of time with theology. I’ve always rather liked grappling with big, messy ideas that don’t have easy answers. I think together, intentional or not, these help me be comfortable with ambiguity – you have to be able to sit in it, chew on it and figure it all out. The best routes forward don’t always come to mind when you’re staring at the same screen for hours on end…
