CANSTAT Annual Meeting – November 2024

The Canadian Network for Statistical Training in Trials hosted its second Annual Meeting from November 5-6, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario. The Annual Meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Monica Taljaard (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute), Dr. Robert Balshaw (University of Manitoba), and trainee representative Arlene Jiang (SickKids). Former meeting co-chairs Drs. Anna Heath (SickKids) and Hubert Wong (University of British Columbia) served as advisors. The meeting goals were (1) to share ideas, experiences, and lessons learned, (2) to build connections and provide an opportunity for networking and collaboration, and (3) to inspire and empower CANSTAT trainees as they advance in their careers. The Annual Meeting featured presentations from world renowned statisticians and clinicians (Drs. Stephen Senn, Tamorah Lewis, Susan Ellenberg, Thomas Fleming, and Srinivas Murthy) on topics including tips and advice for collaborative biostatisticians, equity, diversity, and inclusion in pediatric clinical trials, the role of statisticians during the AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics, data safety monitoring committees, and Bayesian trial design. The Annual Meeting also included a panel discussion about the future of clinical trials methodology. The first cohort of CANSTAT trainees delivered presentations about their experiences in the program, shared words of encouragement for the new cohort, and received certificates for successfully completing the CANSTAT program. The Annual Meeting included statisticians, clinicians, industry representatives, CANSTAT trainees, and trainees from IMPaCT, another clinical trials training platform. The event was a fantastic opportunity for attendees to learn from each other and network. CANSTAT would like to thank its funder, CIHR, and meeting sponsors AstraZeneca, Baylis Medical Technologies, and Moderna.