Biomarkers at Staburo

In 2024 at Staburo was about building momentum in the area Biomarkers. Deepening our engagement in the PSI Biomarker SIG, strengthening collaborations, and developing the ideas that would later become deliverables.

In 2025, we developed and released ShadowVIMP, an R package for variable selection in random forests, submitted the accompanying manuscript, and presented the work broadly in six presentations. Our involvement in the PSI Biomarker SIG continued to grow. The co-leadership of the group was transitioned to Mathias Cardner (AstraZeneca) and Laura Schlieker, and our Staburo colleagues were actively involved in the substreams throughout the year. Rebecca Freudling and Stephan Bischofberger joined the ctDNA subteam and supported an in-depths literature review on analysis standards for this biomarker. Together with many other colleagues from the industry Laura Schlieker supported the hands-on project of the AI/ML workstream and presented the work in a poster  at the PSI Conference in London. The group’s work was recognized with the Poster Prize.

Alongside scientific progress, we invested in team culture and connection, with highlights including a Munich rally and a team dinner for Indian food.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue our PSI activities at the PSI Conference in Belfast, where we will organize a joint session with the Treatment Effect Heterogeneity SIG. Besides other interesting talks the session will feature a presentation of outcomes from the AI/ML substream (presented by Laura Schlieker), and we are also looking forward to Maria Blanco presenting in the Young Statistician session.