Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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 Patrick Grimes, at watercoolerchats@pharmasug.org. All Water Cooler Chats will be held in Center Stage on Level 2.
Schedule
Monday, June 1, 2026
| Time | Discussion Topic | Facilitator(s) |
| 10:00 – 10:45 AM | AI-Forward Leadership Strategies | Kevin Lee |
| 11:00 – 11:45 AM | CDISC Standards Evolution – What’s Next for SDTM | Kristin Kelly and Soumya Rajesh |
| 1:30 – 2:15 PM | Programming for Efficiency and Quality: Best Practices and Advanced Techniques | Troy Martin Hughes and Inka Leprince |
| 2:30 – 3:15 PM | GenAI in Clinical Programming: Building on the Foundation of Good Standards and Metadata | Bhavin Busa |
| 4:45 – 5:30 PM | Multilingual Programming – SAS, R, and Python Working Together | Jim Box, Shelby Taylor, and Sydney Hyde |
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
| Time | Discussion Topic | Facilitator(s) |
| 10:00 – 10:45 AM | Authentic Leadership – Applying Unique Experience to Diverse Needs | Lida Gharibvand and Lisa Mendez |
| 11:00 – 11:45 AM | The Future of Biostatistics Roles – Building Skills and Acquiring Tools for Adaption and Growth | Shivani Gupta and Steven Tan |
| 2:30 – 3:15 PM | Data Quality and Standards Compliance – Practical Strategies for Success | Mario Widel, Pallavi Sadhab, and Vihar Patel |
| 4:00 – 4:45 PM | Generative AI and LLMs – Governance Considerations and Strategies | Sherrine Eid |
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
| Time | Discussion Topic | Facilitator(s) |
| 9:45 – 10:30 AM | CDISC Standards Evolution – What’s Next for ADaM | Sandra Minjoe, Nate Freimark, Cindy Stroupe-Davis, and Nancy Brucken |
Descriptions
AI-Forward Leadership Strategies
Kevin Lee, Clinvia
Monday, June 1, 10:00-10:45 AM
Come ready to discuss how AI is transforming clinical research and what leadership approaches may be applied to inspire and guide teams through this transition. Let’s share practical strategies for building and managing AI-driven organizations.
CDISC Standards Evolution – What's Next for SDTM
Kristin Kelly, Pinnacle 21 by Certara
Soumya Rajesh, IQVIA
Monday, June 1, 11:00-11:45 AM
CDISC standards are evolving —get ahead of the curve by understanding what’s changing, how changes are impacting upstream and downstream decisions, and how to prepare your organization for success. Come to SDTM and ADaM Office Hours with our experts ready to ask questions, understand updates on the horizon and explore implementation strategies.
Programming for Efficiency and Quality: Best Practices and Advanced Techniques
Troy Martin Hughes, Data Llama Analytics
Inka Leprince, InkaStat Solutions, LLC
Monday, June 1, 1:30-2:15 PM
Let’s share ideas for proven techniques to write more efficient, maintainable code with an eye on uncompromised quality standards. Discover practical tips and common pitfalls from our programming experts. Come ready with questions, challenges, and success stories.
GenAI in Clinical Programming: Building on the Foundation of Good Standards and Metadata
Bhavin Busa, Clymb Clinical
Monday, June 1, 2:30-3:15 PM
Generative AI is reshaping clinical programming —but success depends on strong standards and metadata foundations. Come ready to explore how to leverage your exisiting good practices to take advantage of the benefits of GenAI in your workflows.
Multilingual Programming – SAS, R, and Python Working Together
Jim Box, SAS
Shelby Taylor, SAS
Sydney Hyde, Bristol Myers Squibb
Monday, June 1, 4:45-5:30 PM
Modern data science requires working across multiple programming languages and tools. As pharmaceutical organizations and regulatory agencies are becoming more comfortable with the use of open source software, it’s increasingly important to consider the logistics of integration. Come ready to discuss how working across multiple languages can benefit your team as well as practical strategies for collaborating across SAS, R, and Python in a unified environment.
Authentic Leadership - Applying Unique Experience to Diverse Needs
Lida Gharibvand, Loma Linda University
Lisa Mendez, Army MEDCOM
Tuesday, June 2, 10:00-10:45 AM
Modern leadership means navigating ongoing new challenges as our organizations are faced with the reality of constant change and we are expected to adapt our styles to new ways of working. As remote working becomes the norm, strong personal connections become imperative. As technology continues to evolve, teams need to feel more comfortable with uncertainty and adaption. Strong leaders are able to authentically bring their own unique experiences to meet a diverse set of team members where they are both psychologically and emotionally. Come ready to meet fellow leaders and share challenges, strategies, and ideas for success.
The Future of Biostatistics Roles – Building Skills and Acquiring Tools for Adaption and Growth
Shivani Gupta, Clymb Clinical
Steven Tan, Wu Consulting Group
Tuesday, June 2, 11:00-11:45 AM
AI is changing work as we know it and creating new opportunities for those who prepare. Come ready to discuss what that means for your role including the skills and tools you’ll need to thrive in the evolving landscape.
Data Quality and Standards Compliance – Practical Strategies for Success
Mario Widel, Independent
Pallavi Sadhab, AstraZeneca
Vihar Patel, PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
Tuesday. June 2, 2:30-3:15 PM
Data quality and standards compliance are foundational to clinical research success, yet implementation remains inconsistent and resource-intensive. This discussion will explore practical strategies to improve data quality using a combination of automation, AI-enabled approaches, and risk-based methodologies. We will focus on how to measure success, where human oversight remains critical, and how organizations can realistically get started. Attendees are encouraged to share real-world challenges, lessons learned, and scalable solutions.
Generative AI and LLMs – Governance Considerations and Strategies
Sherrine Eid, SAS
Tuesday, June 2, 4:00-4:45 PM
As the wave of GenAI possibilities continue to challenge us to think differently about how we approach our workflows, organizations and industries that exist under a high level of regulatory oversight face unique challenges in governance. Come ready to discuss, concerns, ideas, and strategies for the responsible use of AI in our highly regulated industry.
CDISC Standards Evolution – What's Next for ADaM
Sandra Minjoe, ICON PLC
Nate Freimark, The Griesser Group
Cindy Stroupe-Davis, Data Dynamo
Nancy Brucken, IQVIA
Wednesday, June 3, 9:45-10:30 AM
CDISC standards are evolving —get ahead of the curve by understanding what’s changing, how changes are impacting upstream and downstream decisions, and how to prepare your organization for success. Come to SDTM and ADaM Office Hours with our experts ready to ask questions, understand updates on the horizon and explore implementation strategies.