Expanding the Statistical Horizon: Integrating AI & Digital Tools for Cross-Disciplinary Innovation

Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center 

Room: CC-156C 

This invited panel session will explore how statisticians can elevate their impact and advance societal progress by integrating AI-driven techniques, automation, and digital platforms into their practice, while led by human expertise and validated by scientific rigor essential for trustworthy insights.

 The discussion will center on how emerging technologies can enhance statistical workflows, enable more effective decision-making, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration.

Key themes include: 1) How AI and digital tools can augment statistical processes and communication. 2) Strategies for building strong cross-disciplinary partnerships to co-create solutions to real-world challenges. 3) The evolving role of statisticians in shaping ethical, interpretable, and impactful data-driven systems

Panelists will share real-world experiences, including successes and lessons learned, from across sectors. They will also address critical issues such as ethical and sustainable AI use, transparency, validation with "gold standard" data, authorship considerations, and sustaining scientific rigor in an era of rapid technological change.

This session aligns with the JSM 2026 theme, "Communities in Action: Advancing Society", by showcasing how statisticians, working in collaboration with other disciplines and leveraging emerging technologies can develop solutions that meaningfully serve communities and advance the public good.

Attendees will gain insights on how to: 1) Expand their skillsets with AI and digital tools. 2) Enhance communication and leadership roles in team-based projects. 3) Position themselves as trusted experts guiding responsible use of data science and AI technologies.

Our distinguished panelists include Matt Barker – Senior Director Research Fellow at Procter & Gamble, with extensive experience applying statistical, data science, and AI innovations across product development pipelines. Bochao Jia – Director of Statistics in Advanced Analytics and Access Capability (AAAC) at Eli Lilly and Company, who brings strong technical leadership that drives advancements in drug development and healthcare access. Emily Kang – Professor in the Division of Statistics and Data Science at the University of Cincinnati, whose academic research spans statistical modeling and interdisciplinary collaboration. Liz Mannshardt – Vice President and Director of the Statistics and Data Science Center at Westat, contributing deep expertise in AI governance and responsible integration of AI into statistical workflows.

From across sectors, each panelist brings a unique perspective, uniting theory and practice to demonstrate how statisticians can expand their influence and advance society through innovation.

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Section on Statistical Consulting

Biopharmaceutical Section

Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science