My interest in RWE comes mainly from my work as a biostatistician. I was trained in biostatistics, with a strong focus on study design and data analysis. After my master I started working with administrative data and I have realized that there is so much information in data that are not collected for research purpose. This made me interested in RWE as a way to complement evidence from clinical trials and answer questions that are difficult to address in controlled settings.

I have a background in biostatistics, with academic training focused on statistical methods, study design and data analysis. My professional experience has been in data analysis and clinical research, particularly in oncology, where I work closely with clinicians and researchers on the design and analysis of clinical studies, as well as on scientific writing. My training has given me a strong methodological background, while my work in a clinical setting has allowed me to understand the practical challenges of working with real clinical data.

I currently work as a biostatistician at INOC, a CCC and oncological IRCCS. My role covers different stages of clinical research, from study design and definition of statistical methods to data cleaning, analysis and interpretation of results. I work closely with clinicians and researchers on clinical trials and observational studies, and I also contribute to scientific publications. Working directly with clinical data has made me increasingly interested in how routinely collected data can be used to generate reliable evidence.

I would like to deepen my expertise in RWE and develop a stronger understanding of how to design and analyse studies based on real-world data.

I would suggest starting from a solid understanding of study design and statistical methods, but also spending time learning how clinical data are actually generated and used in practice. RWE requires more than knowing statistical techniques: understanding the clinical context and the strengths and limitations of the data is essential. I would also encourage people to work closely with clinicians and researchers from different backgrounds, because many of the most interesting questions emerge from these multidisciplinary collaborations.

One thing people may never guess about my work is how creative statistics and study design can be. There are certainly a lot of numbers involved, but there is also quite a lot of imagination. Designing a study often means finding creative ways to turn a clinical question into something that can actually be studied, while working within practical constraints. I find this combination of analytical thinking and creativity one of the most interesting parts of being a biostatistician.