The role of a statistical programmer can be challenging and rewarding, with opportunities for technically minded people.
PHUSE conducted an interview with Christian Haargaard Olsen, Senior Statistical Programmer at Novo Nordisk, to share their story and illustrate the wide spectrum of profiles finding their way into the role of a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.
1. What made you want to be a statistical programmer?
It was a bit of a coincidence, I’d say. I have a background in mathematics, so after I did my PhD, I worked in a consultancy job doing postdoc work. At the time, I was considering continuing research, but I also found it really lonely. I missed working closely with others. I missed the feeling of working on a collaborative project together. Then I started looking for jobs where I could do that in the industry. I found a job listing for Statistical Programmer and found it very interesting. I had previously studied applied mathematics where I worked on the physiology model of the body and I had a lot of interaction with doctors and nurses. Combined with a scientific background, it allowed me to work with the data efficiently and I could use that knowledge and work closely together with other people.
2. Can you provide an insight into your career journey so far?
I was very interested in programming from a young age, when my dad brought home a computer when I was around 5. That initially sparked my interest and from that, I found my way into the career path of a statistical programmer, the role is a great overlap of all the things I am interested in. Although, if you have only been in the academic world, it is quite a different way to work and think about things. Once I joined Novo Nordisk, I wouldn’t say I had a difficult journey, and the company does a lot to get people on board in a pace that fits the individual. I think it worked out really nicely. I enjoy that there are so many people that I work together with. I have doctors, trial managers, data management and other programmers who come from a lot of different backgrounds.
3. What were some of the challenges you faced when starting out in the industry?
One of the things that is difficult, especially if you come into the industry as someone who has done research beforehand. Is that everything is so tightly regulated and everything that you do is very well described in the way you should do it. This is something that often comes natural to the industry. It is also a big investment to develop drugs, so as soon you know that something works naturally you want to stick to that. Saying that, Novo Nordisk is doing a lot to be innovative and figuring out how to do things in a smarter way. I think a challenge for me is that everything was so clearly described on what to do and I’ve always liked to try new methods, so I had to figure out where I could make my own solutions or challenge current ones and where I had to follow procedures laid out in advance.
4. How does your role add value to the drug development process?
Its such a big machinery that its difficult to point to one thing. Of course, it is very important to make sure the drugs we develop work. My job is very central in making sure that the data is analysed in a transparent and organised, but also a scientifically sound, way. So, I think it's a really important role to know what you are doing, have an overview of how you analyse data and what your programmes are doing.
5. What excites you about the future of your career?
The key things I like are the opportunities to work with other people and the overlap between the IT and statistical programming industry. I also like figuring out that the statistical programming world is not so different from the rest of the programming industry and maybe there are some things we can learn from the rest of the world. I like learning about how we can use those tools for the clinical development, working out what areas are relevant and not so relevant and which tools to adapt to make our work more efficient and transparent. I think that's really something I am really looking forward to.
6. Where can a career as a statistical programmer take you?
There’s room for lots of different career paths. If you’re very interested in all parts of the drug development, you can rise high up in hierarchy and if you are more interested in travelling the world, you can find a company in a country you have an interest in living in. So far, this role has given me an interesting experience of working and having kids. If I did want to push my career, that is something I can make happen. We have offices in India, so I can live and travel there whenever. I think it is a very open career path for most.
7. What do you think are the key skills you need to be successful in your role?
There are several things you can be good at but maybe you don't need to be good at all of them. I think one thing you need to be good at is to know what scientific sound is and what it is not, when you are treating the data or handling the data. An interest in programming is a plus but not essential and I think being curious, pragmatic, and enjoying working with other people is beneficial. A lot of the value is added in the interaction with the doctors, trial managers or data management, especially when you understand one another’s viewpoint and find a solution that works well with both. I think that a good approach to have in this role is to focus on the bigger picture and not be isolated to your own thoughts.
8. And what skills do you think are important other than technical skills?
It’s important to be interested in what other people are doing and how they are thinking about things because that will help you find better solutions. This can be very beneficial and essential to finding better ways of performing tasks.
9. What advice would you give someone starting in your industry?
Ask a lot of questions and be curious. Meet new challenges. Find solutions and if the solution isn't exactly what you thought it might be, then there is probably a good reason for it being that way. But you can challenge the solution to find your own ways.
10. What is one interesting fact about a statistical programmer that people on the outside may not know?
Statistical programmers are a very wide group of people. The title puts an emphasis on the programming part, but a lot of it is about keeping rigour on how we treat the data and run the trial. Maybe a bit less on programming than the title suggests but more on data rigour.
If you enjoyed Christian’s blog and would like to connect with him further on LinkedIn, do so here.
