AP Statistics teacher Marika Alibhai and statistics teacher Betty Strong wanted their students to see past the textbook and into the “real world.” They found that bridge in biostatistician Lisa Kang. In the MLK Room during F-block on Monday, April 13, Kang spoke to students from all statistics classes regarding her work in drug development and data science.
Strong said the opportunity came through a connection made at a Brookline Education Foundation event. The math department had received a grant focused on media literacy and artificial intelligence (AI), with part of the initiative aimed at bringing in guest speakers for students to learn from, which Strong said is important for students to see how what they learn in class applies beyond school.
“I think it’s just really impactful for them to hear what happens in the real world,” Strong said. “Your whole lives so far have been school, and you’re on the edge of this big step going to college, but even after that, understanding how you can use statistics in the real world and hearing real people’s stories is really impactful.”
Kang focused her talk on the role statistics plays in clinical trials and the long, complex process behind bringing new drugs to patients. She explained that despite the time and cost involved, her work is driven by its impact.
Kang said that frequent failures are part of the biostatistics industry, since the success rate of drug development is very low. According to her, the process is still worth it to ensure treatments are both effective and safe.
“Think about people spending 20 years on the same thing just to bring the drug to patients who need it, and they might not get it. Only 10 percent of the compounds in clinical trials actually succeed,” Kang said.
Throughout the presentation, Kang also said that careers in statistics extend far beyond working in math and numerical calculations, highlighting the importance of communication and a strong writing base in the field.
“To think that being a statistician is just dealing with numbers and not writing is completely wrong,” Kang said. “Writing concise, clear English is very important. Details like punctuation and capitalization matter.”
In addition to technical skills, Kang said that the collaborative nature of her work and the broader impact it can have were a great part of the job. Additionally, Kang said the growing influence of AI in the field marks a major shift in how drug development is conducted.
“AI is reshaping drug development. If you are not embracing AI, you are not really [learning] right. It’s a very important topic,” Kang said. “For statisticians, if you know AI, there will be huge demand. It is like a superpower.”
Junior Kristina Ivanov, an AP Statistics student, said that she learned many new things from the talk that she had not considered before.
“It was really interesting to hear how statistics plays out in the real world and to hear how a professional got into the field,” Ivanov said.
Kang finished her talk with some key takeaways for students. She said that keeping these takeaways in mind will help drive students to success, regardless of whether they decide to pursue statistics in the future.
“Take hard courses, not easy ones. Try different things and get out of your comfort zone, and build a strong foundation because the world is changing quickly,” Kang said. “Keep challenging yourself and you’ll be fine.”
