'My experience in preparing my first US Connect 2021 paper/presentation in a virtual setting!' Written by Amar Mahidadia, Director, Senior Analyst at Bayer
Please note, this blog is the opinion of the author and does not represent PHUSE nor necessarily the opinion of the author's employer.
Why did I decide to attend the US Connect 2021?
In 2019, I participated in the PHUSE Data Science Education Working Group (now PHUSE Education), led by Sascha Ahrweiler, Education Director. The whole experience was very encouraging and inspired me to engage and contribute to the PHUSE conference.
I attended my first PHUSE event (the EU Connect) in 2020. It was so good that I decided to participate and present a paper at the next Connect.
About the US Connect 2021
The virtual US Connect 2021 took place from 14 to 18 June, and was a great success. This was my second virtual PHUSE event and it was very informative and enjoyable. The main reason I attended was to present a paper.
The live week was centred around six key content pillars:
- COVID-19 (CO)
- Data Science (DSc)m
- Emerging Trends (ET)
- Future of Clinical Trial Reporting (FC)
- Leadership (LE)
- Regulatory & Submissions (RS)
The event covered relevant and current industry topics including data standards and governance, health authority requirements & regulations, standards implementation, data visualisation, trends and technology.
There were inspirational keynote speakers, interactive workshops and panel discussions. And how can I forget the virtual evening social events – the Musical Bingo, Poker Night and Family Feud night.
Being a virtual conference
Having participated in the US Connect 2021, I can say that there are many positives to virtual/online meetings. A video library with all the presentations and posters is an important asset both during and after and being able to create your schedule around the presentation is a huge bonus.
The US Connect 2021 ran for a week (Monday through to Friday), with mid-event break on Wednesday, to enable you to catch up on work or watch videos on demand – you won’t miss any of the content! Sadly, what you do miss is face-to-face interaction, serendipitous meet-ups and in-person networking opportunities. Virtual conferences have their pros and cons.
Pros: No travel or travel stress, you stay close to your work, no session collisions, on-demand material
Cons: No personal or facial clues, easy to get distracted, no travel or meeting industry peers/colleagues, free beer!
PHUSE took the necessary steps to ensure that there wouldn’t be any “downsides” to the virtual Connect. Each day started with a virtual coffee meet and ended with a social event. The activities during the day were a good mix of presentations and interactive workshops to keep attendees engaged.
My experience
I was pleasantly surprised by the way PHUSE uses this structured approach to facilitate first-time presenters – and any presenter for that matter. Generally, when you sign up for a conference paper, the first thing you notice is the strict deadline for paper submission. This pressure can be alleviated by the right support from the conference organisers.
PHUSE provides all the support you need to get started. The Stream Chair and Co-Chair reach out to you and provide vital information to prepare your paper way in advance. You have email access throughout the process, which helps a lot. For the virtual conferences, you have to record your paper for the on-demand library.
I had the privilege of working with industry veteran Sascha Ahrweiler as a co-author and mentor, who was very supportive in guiding me through the process.
Overall, I would say I had a very positive experience. The live week delivered many good presentations and workshops.
The industry is transitioning rapidly, and I am glad that PHUSE is keeping the content relevant and cutting-edge. Some hands-on workshops and presentations are worth mentioning. (I still have on-demand videos to watch.)
- ET: Hands-on Workshop: Introduction to R for the Statistical Programmer, Atorus Research
- RS: Hands-on Workshop FDA & PMDA Submission Data Requirements, GlaxoSmithKline
- DSc: Hands-on Workshop: Data Storytelling, Bayer & Janssen Research & Development
- RS01: FDA Conformance Analysis and Upcoming Implementation of Technical Rejection Criteria for Study Data, FDA
Please note – the US Connect 2021 content will be available publicly on the PHUSE archive from September.
US Connect 2022
If you would like to participate in the US Connect 2022, then find the relevant links below and get ready to innovate!
Submit an abstract to present: https://www.phuse-events.org/attend/frontend/reg/homepage.csp?eventID=11&userType=submitter&pageID=5130
Register to attend: https://www.phuse-events.org/attend/11/register
