How a passion for learning led from academia to impactful clinical research
Have you ever been told that you ask too many questions? Well, I confess that I have, especially as a child! That boundless curiosity has stayed with me, fuelling my interest in technology and biology. It led me to pursue an engineering degree at university, then a master’s in biomedical engineering, where I could merge those two worlds.
Still eager to learn more, I went on to pursue a PhD at the crossroads of technology, neuroscience, and healthcare. My research focused on eye movements in patients with dementia as well as in children with amblyopia. I also taught graduate students, which gave me a fresh perspective on how knowledge is shared and developed.
Working with experts across many disciplines, I discovered how collaboration across fields — and even across time — can bring new insights that no single person could produce.By the end of my PhD, I realized I wanted to move beyond academia and closer to the practical side of research.
It was a few months into the COVID-19 crisis that I was introduced to IDDI. What struck me was how human and pragmatic the recruitment process felt. My future manager focused more on my skills, potential, and capacity to learn, and less about certificates or prior industry experience. In a sector I knew for its rigid recruiting, that was refreshing. To me, it signalled a company that valued growth and self-improvement.
Breaking silos, building tools, and driving change through collaboration
Once I joined, that impression was confirmed. My training as a CDM programming specialist was built around regular trainings and Q&A sessions with senior colleagues who generously shared their knowledge, even with the challenges of lockdown. This made the transition from academia and my landing at IDDI much smoother.
Not long after, I found myself looking for ways to make processes “go better, faster, stronger”. As I was learning CDM processes, I kept track of software hiccups and process inefficiencies, discussing them with peers and seniors. With their advice and support, I began proposing and implementing process improvements and even develop new tools. My first small project, optimizing a tool to parse massive SAS logs — cut processing time from minutes to seconds, which was not only exciting but also impactful given its daily use.
To my delight, this eagerness to innovate was encouraged. Through the backing of my manager and my colleagues — and later, a promotion — I saw that IDDI could recognize initiative and trust its people to drive change.
Over time, my scope expanded, and I started exploring how version control, R, and AI could be integrated into our processes. One of the most rewarding aspects of this stage was the chance to step outside the boundaries of my own team (“break the silos”), and work together with my biostat, EDC and IT colleagues. Through their different expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives, I learned a lot, broadened my own perspective, and saw how us getting together brought not only new insights, but also more diverse and robust solutions.
Shaping the future of data management with AI, science, and patient focus
Meanwhile, the clinical data management industry itself was evolving, driven by at least three strong currents:
- AI, be it genAI and its many promises or more traditional machine learning, for trial optimization and predictive analytics
- Data science and software engineering principles, strengthening rigor and reproducibility
- Patient-centricity, refocusing the industry on different outcomes and measures
IDDI recognized these shifts, and I naturally became involved in AI, data science, and software engineering initiatives, while patient-centricity was already at the core of an ongoing project that culminated in the foundation of One2Treat.
As for me, it brought me closer to both project and people management, and with that new challenges and dimensions of learning.
I also had the chance to attend international conferences like the ACDM’s AI symposium, R/Pharma, or the CDISC Interchange, where I reconnected with the academic atmosphere of open discussion, cutting-edge ideas, dark presentation rooms, dispersed buffets and lines in front of the last still functioning coffee machine. Each time, I returned energized, bringing back knowledge and inspiration to share with my colleagues (some highlights: SOPs chatbots, CDISC 360i, OpenStudyBuilder, analysis concepts and many more).
Now, approaching my five-year mark at IDDI and stepping into a new role, I look back with gratitude. I see the lessons learned from colleagues, the many process improvements and innovations implemented, the myriads of ideas still in motion, or in my head and those of my colleagues, and, well… I scarcely believe it’s been that long! As for the future, I believe the pace of change – in many dimensions – makes it uncertain and full of challenges. Though I remain cautious about the promises of generative AI and its hidden costs, I also recognize the powerful tool that it already is and its tremendous potential when thoughtfully integrated. It is definitely a time of change and new processes for the clinical industry, and I am both glad to be part of that transition at IDDI and confident that together we can deliver positive results.
