Monday and Tuesday
The office water cooler is more than just a place to get a drink. It’s a gathering place where colleagues take a break to enjoy friendly conversation. It’s a forum where thoughts and ideas are exchanged. It’s a social hub where people find out what’s really going on in the office.
Brought back by popular demand, PharmaSUG Water Cooler Chats bring this spirit of informal discussion into the conference environment. Facilitated group discussions on a variety of topics will be scheduled for specific times during the conference. All you have to do is show up and join the conversation. We’ll provide the virtual water cooler and get the dialog going – the rest is up to you!
The schedule of topics and facilitators is below. If you have questions, please contact our Water Cooler Chat Coordinators, Amber Randall and Kirsty Lauderdale, at watercoolerchats@pharmasug.org. All Water Cooler Chats will be held in Golden Gate 5.
Monday, May 20, 2024
| Time | Discussion Topic (click for description) | Facilitator(s) |
| 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM | Becoming Multi-Lingual: Are You Ready? | Ashley Tarasiewicz |
| 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM | We All Need to Feel Validated: R Can Help | Steve Wade and Sudhir Kedare |
| 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM | Partnering Successfully: A Dive Into Sponsor/CRO Relationships | Mathura Ramanathan and Manuela Koska |
| 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM | Open-Source Tools for Data Integration and Visualization | Joshua Cook |
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
| Time | Discussion Topic (click for description) | Facilitator(s) |
| 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM | Tips and Tricks to Spice up SAS: Defensive Coding Strategies | Richann Watson, Louise Hadden, and Nancy Brucken |
| 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM | Open Source Journeys in the Life Sciences | Magnus Mengelbier |
| 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM | Sustainably Engaging Your Workforce in a Changing World | Purvi Kalra and Lydia King |
| 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM | Advancing Innovation with AI/ML in the Real World | Sherrine Eid |
| 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM | Gen AI, LLM, and ChatGPT Integration: Where Do We Go From Here? | Kevin Lee |
Water Cooler Chat Descriptions
Becoming Multi-Lingual: Are You Ready?
Ashley Tarasiewicz
Monday, May 20, 2024, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Over the past few years, many pharmaceutical organizations have encountered the same challenge – there is a wealth of training available on open–source languages like R but very little training specific to the traditional clinical trial workflows we use on a daily basis. Companies are beginning to see and realize the benefits of having a multilingual programming team – but how can they successfully and quickly train their SAS® programmers in the use of R? Come ready to discuss the challenges and successes of finding the right training content, format, and candidates for teaching clinical programmers how to use R. This chat is inspired by HT-201: Transitioning from SAS to R.
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We All Need to Feel Validated: R Can Help
Steve Wade and Sudhir Kedare
Monday, May 20, 2024, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
More organizations are embracing open-source technologies to perform tasks traditionally completed in SAS®, one such activity is the QC of datasets, tables, and figures used to produce TLF’s. In the pharmaceutical industry, the QC/validation process typically uses “independent programming” in which a “production” programmer and a “QC” programmer use the same specifications to independently program an output and then comparing those results programmatically.
At Jazz Pharmaceuticals, {inspectoR} was developed to provide an open-source tool that provides the same functionality as the SAS/COMPARE procedure, and have replaced the QC side of the our process with R.
Come ready to discuss other ways to explore open-source technologies in traditionally SAS®-centric areas. Can these changes bring new speed and efficiency? This chat is inspired by papers SD-431: inspectoR: QC in R? No Problem! and DV-433: Interactive Data Analysis and Exploration with composR: See the Forest AND the Trees.
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Partnering Successfully: A Dive Into Sponsor/CRO Relationships
Mathura Ramanathan and Manuela Koska
Monday, May 20, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Navigating partnerships between pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations is a necessary skill for anyone working in modern clinical biometrics roles. Further, perspective on what drives success in these relationships may vary by role and responsibility. Come ready to discuss strategies for optimized fully integrated long-term Sponsor-CRO partnerships. Let’s touch on communication, processes, planning, proactive risk management, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on quality. This chat is inspired by papers LS-383: Ongoing Trends and Strategies to Fine-tune the CRO/Sponsor Partnership – Perspectives from Statistical Programming and SI-408: Agile Sponsor Oversight of Statistical Programming Activities.
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Open-Source Tools for Data Integration and Visualization
Joshua Cook
Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
In today’s clinical research and biotech industries, critical decisions must be made based on complex data from a variety of sources in a variety of formats. Further, these data must be interpreted by decision makers at multiple technical levels. Open-source tools such as Quarto 1.4 provide new solutions for the integration and presentation of these data. Come ready to discuss challenges and solutions related to multi-source reporting and visualization. This chat is inspired by DV-456: An introduction to Quarto: A Versatile Open-source Tool for Data Reporting and Visualization and DV-458: Quarto 1.4: Revolutionizing Open-source Dashboarding Capabilities.
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Tips and Tricks to Spice up SAS: Defensive Coding Strategies
Richann Watson, Louise Hadden and Nancy Brucken
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
SASsy Ladies, Richann Jean Watson, Louise Hadden, and Nancy Brucken, take you on an exploration dive into their favorite new and tried and true defensive coding strategies. Whether you are dealing with ‘macrotize mycodia’ for data-driven techniques or procedural options to enhance reporting or ensuring conformance to data standards, these SASsy Ladies want to talk ‘data’ to you! Bring those insatiable cravings for programming knowledge and be ready to share some tantalizing tidbits of your own. After all, we are a bunch of SASsy Ladies and Laddies!
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Open Source Journeys in the Life Sciences
Magnus Mengelbier
Tuesday, May 21 2024, 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Come prepared to discuss different points of view on Open Source software in the Life Sciences, particularly R and Python. How do traditional approaches to compliance affect how we validate and use Open Source software? What are some of the benefits of Open Source when we look beyond the financial aspects? Is it less expensive? How do we apply risk-based approaches to the use and validation of Open Source software? Can we simplify validation while improving compliance and ensure that the Open Source tools we select are fit for their intended purpose? The aim of the discussion is not to solve the problem of Open Source but highlight some of the challenges that we all face and provide insights into how different organizations approach the same questions in different ways.
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Sustainably Engaging Your Workforce in a Changing World
Purvi Kalra and Lydia King
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
The evolution of the nature of work life has accelerated as we have all navigated the realities of COVID and other recent destabilizing and transformative events. This chat is inspired by papers LS-357: Harmony in Motion: Nurturing Work-Life Balance for Sustainable Well-being and SI-319: A Change is Gonna Come: Maintaining Company Culture, Managing Time Zones, and Integrating Teams after a Global Acquisition. Come ready to discuss the challenges and opportunities of working in the digital, nomadic age, across borders, time zones and cultures. In a world of constant change and blurred boundaries, what can we as managers do to create a positive, productive culture and support a healthy and engaged workforce?
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Advancing Innovation with AI/ML in the Real World
Sherrine Eid
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have presented new frontiers in exploring life sciences and medical solutions. One application is the use of Real World Data for both the search for new interventions and the development of personalized medicine. This chat is inspired by RW-421: Applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Real World Data in Personalized Medicine for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Come ready to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the application of AI/ML in research as well as new possibilities for the use of RWD.
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Gen AI, LLM, and ChatGPT Integration: Where Do We Go From Here?
Kevin Lee
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
For many organizations, the consideration of the integration of Gen AI such as ChatGPT leads to a fear of missing out and a fear of messing up. But, just like any other past new technologies such as Personal computer, internet, Smart phone (iPhone), Cloud computing and social media, the organizations will eventually integrate ChatGPT or other Large Language Model (LLM) and Gen AI tools. We want to discuss about the risk, use cases, policies, regulatory guidelines, and more. We will also explore what this innovation mean to us in Biometrics and Pharmaceutical industries.
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