Biopharmaceutical
Web-Based Training Program: An Update
Mani Lakshminarayanan, Merck, and Venkat sethuraman, Novartis
W
eb-based distance training ments on the ASA web site and sending
has become a standard tool emails to biostatistics departments at
for the Biopharmaceutical various universities.
Starting in spring 2009, the webinar
Section. Rolled out 18 months ago and The number of attendees at each
series will welcome two new organiz-
supported by the ASA Center for webinar has been between 500 and
ers: Mani Lakshminarayanan of Merck
Statistics Education, the program was 1,100. Many participants took advan-
and Venkat Sethuraman of Novartis.
launched to provide an alternative to tage of the option to allow multiple par-
Speakers and dates for spring 2009
live training courses. As travel and hotel ticipants to share a single session for a
and fall 2009 have begun to be iden-
rooms become more expensive and add single registration fee. Based on surveys
tified. Although these webinars will
additional strain to existing budgets, completed by attendees, a single person
be of a similar format, topics will be
web-based communication channels called in at 30%–40% of the sites, and
clustered into a few broad themes for
have emerged as a low-cost way to deliv- 15%–20% of the sites had more than
each quarter. For example, we plan to
er training. Our current webinar format five participants. Feedback received
have a dedicated quarter for Bayesian
is being considered a template by other by the organizers indicates that cost
methods, sample size, and microarray
groups within the ASA. is an attractive feature of the training
and gene expression. Potential speakers
The program has included popu- program. The registration fee for the
include Christy-Chuang Stein of Pfizer,
lar topics such as linear mixed models, Biopharmaceutical Section members
Lakshminarayanan, Javier Cabrera of
multiplicity, adaptive designs, miss- is $44 for each two-hour webinar. The
Rutgers, Dhammika Amaratunga of
ing data, and assessment of QT prolon- fee for ASA members is higher ($59),
Johnson & Johnson, Frank Harrell of
gation. Details can be found at www. but they have the option of joining the
Vanderbilt, John Storey of Princeton,
biopharmnet.com/doc/doc03002.html. Biopharmaceutical Section for $8 and
Brad Carlin of the University of
Both attendees and presenters indi- receiving the section member rate. The
Minnesota, Andy Grieve of King’s
cated the webinars were convenient, registration fee for non-ASA members
College, London, and Scott Berry of
compared to regular training courses. The is $74.
Berry Consultants.
attendees either logged into the training The section recently completed its
The webinar web site, www.
courses at their desks or attended ses- work on the fall 2008 training series,
biopharmnet.com/doc/doc03002.html,
sions set up in onsite conference rooms. which included the following webinars:
will be updated with dates, times, addi-
Similarly, the presenters did not have to
Webinar 1: Stratified Analyses: tional materials, and interactive options
travel to a special facility.
Tips for Improving Power, as they become available. Copies of the
The program has attracted a broad
given by Devan V. Mehrotra of
course handouts also will be posted
audience of industry statisticians, academ-
Merck Research Laboratories
there, as well as discussion threads set
ic researchers, government statisticians,
up to enable participants to submit
and graduate students. The majority of Webinar 2: Bioequivalence,
questions to the presenters at the end of
participants connects from the United given by scott Patterson of wyeth
each course.
States, though a fraction does come from and Byron Jones of Pfizer
Members are encouraged to check the
other countries. Rick Peterson, the ASA’s
education program associate, plays a key
Webinar 3: Classical Sample-Size
site often and spread the word among
role in selecting vendors/providers for the
Analysis for Hypothesis Testing
their colleagues.
web-based tools, training the presenters,
(Part I), given by Ralph O’Brien of
To participate in a web-based course,
and organizing the webinars. In addition
Case western Reserve University
attendees need to have either a PC or
a Mac with an Internet browser and a
to contacting (via email) all the mem-
Webinar 4: Classical Sample-Size high-speed connection. For more infor-
bers of the Biopharmaceutical Section,
Analysis for Hypothesis Testing
mation about the web-based training
Peterson has instituted other publicity
(Part II), given by Ralph O’Brien of
program, including set-up requirements,
efforts, including publishing announce-
Case western Reserve University
visit
www.amstat.org/sections/sbiop/
webinarseries.html. n
34 AMsTAT NeWs JANUARy 2009
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