"The role of the biostatistician is that of a problem solver. Drug development is about generating data and information about a new drug and then turning that into knowledge and understanding. Statisticians are uniquely qualified to do this – their training is all about how to make sense of uncertainty and variability in data.” Statisticians are involved in every stage in the development cycle, from helping scientists identify new compounds to designing meaningful trials that show how medicines work in the human body. “Statisticians are taught to think scientifically, in a step-by-step fashion, from hypothesis to experiment to interpretation.” Kevin studied mathematics and statistics, achieving two academic degrees. “It was actually late in my university course that I became aware of careers and opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. As I learned more about the industry, clinical trials and drug development, I quickly came to realise that this was the area where I wanted to work. It seemed to me that this was a place where you could truly apply the skills and knowledge you had gained in your studies, and make a real difference. The idea of helping to bring new, breakthrough medicines to improve the lives of people really caught my imagination.” “Presently, I’m the Worldwide Statistical leader for Iressa, which is the first drug of its kind in a new class of treatments for cancer. I’m also the Statistical Expert for Global Oncology, which means I get to advise the Oncology business regarding strategic statistical issues in drug development. My area of specialisation is therefore biostatistics, and in particular, the statistics and statistical methods applicable to anti-cancer drug development.” Kevin works in one of the R&D sites in UK. “We’re in a beautiful, semi-rural location. It’s a very pleasant place to work. My days are very varied. Sometimes you can find yourself analysing, interpreting and presenting clinical trial data to all sorts of people and different levels in the organisation. Other days you can find yourself in team meetings, discussing important issues relating to drug development strategies, regulatory or commercial matters.” |