Staburo supports transdisciplinary thesis advisory committee at TUM 

We’re happy to share that Staburo is supporting a Transdisciplinary Thesis Advisory Committee (TTAC) for a doctoral researcher at the Konrad Zuse School of Excellence in Reliable AI, based at TUM. 

The TTAC is tailored to each doctoral researcher, combining perspectives from both academia and industry. We are contributing to the advisory committee of a PhD student working on a thesis that focuses on modelling causal systems with dynamic processes. 

During regular meetings, we engage in discussions on the student’s progress, their individual development plan, and how to bridge their research with practical applications. As a representative from the industry, we’re proud to share industry insights and contribute to their academic journey. 

At Staburo, we value the opportunity to support young researchers by offering mentorship and highlighting potential career pathways. 

Staburo strategic initiative: Estimands and endpoints

Under the umbrella of our Staburo strategy 2027, we identified important topics for our industry and our company. Accordingly, a number of internal strategic initiatives, in which team members jointly work on these topics, were launched.

At the end of 2023, five Staburo statisticians and five disclosure managers and medical writers joined our initiative ‘Hot topics: Estimands and Endpoints’ led by Managing Director Hannes Buchner and spent over a year producing valuable results.

Our achievements include a poster at the 57th EMWA Conference in Valencia (‘An attempt to translate estimands into plain language’, Staburo @ 57th EMWA Conference in Valencia | Data science, biostatistics, data transparency, bioinformatics and statistical programming) and a poster at the PSI 2024 Conference in Amsterdam (‘Conditional vs Marginal Effects: A Systematic Review of OS and PFS on ClinicalTrials.gov’, Staburo @ PSI Conference 2024 | Data science, biostatistics, data transparency, bioinformatics and statistical programming ) as well as preparations for future conference contributions and a webinar about estimands and medical writing.

Moreover, we established participation as active members in the EMWA Regulatory Writing Group and in the Estimand Implementation Working Group (EIWG) from EFPIA in the subgroup ‘Reporting of Estimands’.

Other hands-on results are internal guideline documents and trainings for accurate and consistent definition of endpoints in clinical trial protocols, statistical analysis plans and for results disclosure, and four trainings about estimands and their implementation in clinical trial protocols tailored for our clients as well as two internal trainings.

We are proud to have strengthened Staburo’s expertise on this important topic building on previous work (including https://doi.org/10.1002/pst.2158, Staburo @ Joint EFSPI / BBS Webinar: Estimands addendum is final: Anything new for oncology? | Data science, biostatistics, data transparency, bioinformatics and statistical programming)  and are looking forward to the next strategic initiatives that have already started.

Contributing colleagues were Stephan Bischofberger, Gabriele Bleckert, Hannes Buchner, Marie-Paule Ehrhart, Habib Esmaeili, Ulrike Fischer, Anita Kociaj, Kathi Künnemann, Edith Küpper, Maarten van Dijk and Markus Waser.

Reflecting on PHUSE 2024

Wrapping up an exciting 2024 conference season and gearing up for an eventful 2025 for Staburo GmbH! 

Last November, we had the privilege of attending the Phuse EU Connect 2024 in beautiful Strasbourg, a flagship event for statistical programmers in drug development and healthcare. With over 700 attendees from 36 countries, it was the largest in-person connect yet – buzzing with insightful sessions, engaging discussions, and wonderful networking opportunities. 

Our colleagues Jannis Ströbele and Angelika Böhm represented Staburo, diving into a rich program of plenary and parallel sessions, workshops, and a lively poster session. They also made the most of the social events, from speed networking on Sunday to the grand gala dinner on Monday – truly an event to remember! 

As we look back on the many conferences we attended in 2024, we’re thrilled to share that our 2025 agenda is already packed! We can’t wait to reconnect and share insights at events like DAGStat, PSI conference, BIO International Convention, APF, BVMA symposium and many more! 

We’re looking forward to connecting with many of you at upcoming events! 

Staburo presents at Biometric Colloquium – Medical University of Vienna

Our Staburo colleagues Dr. Hannes Buchner (Managing Director) and Tim Müller (Data Scientist) have the honour of presenting at the Biometric Colloquium at the Medical University of Vienna in about two weeks’ time.

Here are a few details and the abstract of the presentation:

When:                19-Feb-2025, 9:00 am

Where:               Medical University of Vienna

Presenter:         Dr. Hannes Buchner & Tim Müller

Topic:                  Permutation-based Multiple Testing-Controlled Variable Selection Using Random Forests

Abstract: Identifying relevant biomarkers is critical in clinical research and precision medicine, particularly when analysing high-dimensional data. Random forests (RFs) are promising for such settings due to their flexibility, ease of use and their ability to handle datasets with more variables than samples. RFs assess the importance of each variable in predicting the outcome using variable importance (VIMP) scores. However, the lack of a known statistical distribution of VIMP scores prevents standard statistical testing and associated multiple testing adjustment for the purpose of variable selection. To address this, we propose a novel method for multiple testing-controlled variable selection. Our approach, similar to permutation testing, involves generating permuted counterparts for each variable and comparing their VIMPs across iterations to calculate p-values. However, unlike competing methods, we preserve the correlation structure between the covariates in the permutations to guard against biases. With promising results, our method is evaluated against three competing RF variable selection approaches in simulations that involve high- and low-dimensional data, as well as correlated and categorical variables. Moreover, we apply it to a real dataset to demonstrate its practical use. The method’s results integrate seamlessly into standard VIMP plots, providing a flexible and transparent way to interpret results in a familiar format.

Many thanks to Dr. Franz König for the invitation. We are already looking forward to numerous participants and an exciting exchange.

Reflecting on Biomarkers in 2024 and looking ahead

As we step into a new year, here’s a recap of key highlights from 2024 in the field of biomarkers at Staburo. 

June: At the PSI conference in Amsterdam, biomarkers were the focus of a dedicated session, followed by an in-person meeting of the PSI/EFSPI Biomarker SIG.
August: Our team connected and collaborated during a productive and enjoyable team event at Kletterwald.
November: We presented Deep Learning in Image Analysis in the Machine Learning Substream of the PSI/EFSPI Biomarker SIG, showcasing advancements in the field of machine learning and biomarkers.
November: At the APF event, we met old friends, built new relationships and strengthened long-term collaborations in biomarker research. 

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue working in the field of biomarkers and early clinical development on meaningful projects and further strengthening our collaborations in 2025. We’re also looking forward to the PSI conference in London this June, where we plan to reconnect with the PSI/EFSPI Biomarker SIG and engage with thought-provoking sessions. 

Biomarkers remain a key focus for advancing healthcare and research, and we’re proud to be part of this evolving field. 

For more information on biomarkers and our services, check out our page and click here.

Staburo is Top Company 2025!

What an incredible way to begin 2025!

We are beyond thrilled to announce that Staburo has been recognized with two prestigious awards as we step into the new year.

For the second time in a row, we were honoured this year with the top company 2025 award by Kununu for our outstanding company culture and high employee satisfaction. This recognition reflects the values we stand for: Check out our Kununu profile: Staburo als Arbeitgeber: Gehalt, Karriere, Benefits

In addition, presented by Kununu and Zeit Verlag, we were awarded Most Responsible Employer 2025.You can find the article under this link: https://www.zeit.de/angebote/most-responsible-employer-2025/index This highlights our commitment to environmental and social sustainability and our dedication to work-life balance. Out of 1,000 companies in the Research, Development, and Public Service category, we ranked 47th, earning an impressive score of 4.88 out of 5!

These awards are particularly meaningful as they are based on independent employee reviews. They validate our mission to create a supportive, empowering, and rewarding work environment where everyone can thrive. Think this could be the right place for you?  check out our current job openings and join our team: Jobs | Data science, biostatistics, data transparency, bioinformatics and statistical programming

 We owe these achievements to our incredible team – your hard work and passion make Staburo exceptional. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Here’s to a successful and exciting 2025, filled with growth, collaboration, and impact.