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Jul 27
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A Memorable Experience: Attending the NYC-R Conference and Key Takeaways

By Blog, Events

This is a guest post by Joseph Korszun, Senior Manager of Data Solutions at ProCogia. ProCogia is a member of the R Consortium. Joe is a data scientist with a background in mathematics and engineering. He is passionate about using statistical analysis to improve business decisions by developing scalable and flexible solutions that solve complex problems.

Introduction

New York City, known for its vibrant energy and thriving tech scene, became the epicenter of data and analytics during the recent NYC-R Conference. As an avid data enthusiast, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to immerse myself in this bustling conference and gain valuable insights into the world of R and Python programming.

I had the pleasure of representing ProCogia and the R-Consortium. The experts who stood before us showcased their deep knowledge and dedication to advancing data science. It was remarkable to see people so passionate about the R programming language and its applications in the field. Throughout the event, they engaged the audience with informative presentations and interactive workshops, sparking insightful discussions among attendees. The positive reception from the crowd highlighted the significance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the data science community. I was inspired by their expertise and left the conference with a renewed enthusiasm for data science and the possibilities it offers. The event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and learn from the best in the industry. I am grateful for the experience and eagerly look forward to seeing more contributions in the future. In this blog post, I will share my experiences attending the NYC-R Conference and highlight some key takeaways that left a lasting impression.

Pre-Conference: Workshops at NYC-R

The NYC-R Conference’s workshops promise a thrilling exploration of diverse data science topics using the power of R programming. Attendees will embark on an immersive journey to delve into essential areas of data science, including time series forecasting, machine learning, Bayesian data analysis, and causal inference. Industry experts led these workshops offer a unique opportunity to expand data science expertise and harness the true potential of R in driving data-driven innovations. Some of the below workshops were provided in the first two days of the NYC-R Conference:

  • Tidy Time Series and Forecasting in R by Michell O’Hara-Wild
  • Machine Learning in R by Max Kuhn
  • Bayesian Data Analysis and STAN by Jonah Gabry
  • Causal Inference in R by Malcolm Barrett and Lucky D’Agostino McGowan

Day 1: An Exciting Kickoff

The conference commenced with an invigorating address, highlighting the growing significance of R in the industry and the importance of fostering its continued development. The vibrant atmosphere was infectious as I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared the same passion for data science.

The day was packed with informative sessions covering a various of topics, from advanced data visualization techniques to machine learning algorithms.

Day 1 of the NYC-R Conference featured diverse and insightful presentations, showcasing the remarkable potential of the R programming language in data science. Attendees explored various topics, including transitioning to Quarto for interactive data reports, building R packages with LLMs, and making impactful design decisions for statistical software visualizations. The presentations also delved into data-driven marketing channel attribution, the power of OpenAI’s Embeddings API, and the art of creating captivating presentations through Slidecraft. Experts from NFL Next Gen Stats revealed the many models powering sports analytics, underscoring the transformative role of data science in the sports industry. The conference left attendees inspired and equipped with valuable skills to drive data- driven innovation in their fields.

The Importance of Continuous Learning

Day 1 of the NYC-R Conference was a remarkable showcase of the importance of continued learning and the incredible potential of the R programming language. As data enthusiasts gathered, the conference provided a platform for exploring various facets of R and its impact on data-driven decision-making.

The NYC-R Conference became a hub of knowledge sharing and collaboration, where data professionals engaged in vibrant discussions and exchanged ideas. This collaborative environment emphasized the significance of staying updated with the latest trends in data science to remain at the forefront of innovation.

Day 2: Unlocking Data Insights through Advanced Analytics

Day 2 of the NYC-R Conference was a captivating journey into the forefront of data science. Attendees were treated to lectures and presentations that showcased the latest advancements in the field. The exploration of Bayesian Boosting revealed its potential for predictive modeling, offering a fresh perspective on data analysis techniques.

In an enlightening presentation, a renowned data science expert delved into the importance of democratizing data access in the session “An Ode to Permissionless Data Science.” This inspiring talk encouraged attendees to foster a more inclusive and collaborative data science community, empowering data professionals to drive innovation together.

Participants were enthralled by demonstrations of LLM use, equipping them with practical skills to build robust R packages. The “How to Make Decisions with Data” session, empowered attendees to derive meaningful insights, ensuring data-driven strategies and informed decision-making.

The day continued with captivating lectures that covered various data science aspects, concluding with a live episode of the SuperDataScience Podcast. The podcast provided invaluable industry insights and sparked engaging discussions, leaving attendees inspired and eager to apply their newfound knowledge in their data-driven endeavors. Day 2 at the NYC-R Conference left participants with a deeper understanding of data science’s evolving landscape, motivating them to make a lasting impact in the dynamic world of data-driven innovation.

Language Wars Still at Large

Wes McKinney, the brilliant mind behind pandas, addressed the ever-lingering “Language Wars” in the data science realm. With a focus on breaking down barriers and fostering interoperability, McKinney unveiled how Apache Arrow and the Python Polars library are revolutionizing the data stack. Attendees were enthralled by McKinney’s insights on harnessing the power of these cutting-edge tools to streamline data operations, improve performance, and enable seamless data exchange across programming languages. As the discussion unfolded, it became evident that the quest for data-driven excellence continues, and the open-source community remains at the forefront of bridging the gap between programming languages for the betterment of data science.

The Power of Community

The conference highlighted the power of community in the world of data science. Interacting with professionals from diverse backgrounds provided fresh perspectives and insights, fostering an environment of collaborative learning and growth. As a sponsor member of the R-Consortium, ProCogia extends its heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable support in making this event possible. Their commitment to advancing the R programming language and data science community has been instrumental in creating a vibrant platform for knowledge sharing and networking. The connections made during the NYC-R Conference are a testament to the strength of this community, forming the foundation for future collaborations and knowledge sharing that will undoubtedly drive data-driven innovations for years to come. ProCogia is proud to be part of this thriving community and looks forward to continuing its involvement in fostering growth and innovation within the R community.

Conclusion

Attending the NYC-R Conference was an exhilarating and enlightening experience. The conference reiterated the widespread adoption of R as a powerful tool in data science. Numerous presenters showcased their impressive projects and highlighted the versatility of R in data analysis, modeling, and visualization. It became evident that R is not just a programming language but an entire ecosystem that supports data-driven decision-making across various domains.

The conference showcased the immense potential of R in data science, emphasized the importance of continuous learning, and highlighted the value of community and collaboration. As I left the conference with a wealth of new knowledge and connections, I felt inspired to apply what I had learned in my own data-driven endeavors. The NYC-R Conference not only expanded my horizons but also reinforced my passion for the exciting world of data science.

May 03
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Announcing R/Medicine 2022!

By Blog, Events

Announcing R/Medicine 2022! The conference will be fully virtual from August 23 through 26 and feature two days of workshops (included with the low registration fee!) and two days of keynotes featuring JJ Allaire and Frank Harrell.


R / Medicine is the premier conference for the use of R in clinical practice and reflects the increasing importance of data science and machine learning to the everyday lives of physicians and other healthcare professionals.  Topics include working with clinical data, statistical modeling, forecasting, reproducible research, clinical reporting, R package development and more. Check out some highlights from previous conferences on our YouTube channel!


Early Bird Registration is now open so sign up for the conference now! We are accepting proposals for 30 minute talks, 30 minute panel discussions, and 10 minute lighting talks. 

Interested in sponsoring R/Medicine? Please take a look at our sponsorship brochure.

Apr 01
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Announcing the New R User Groups, Conferences, and Training Program

By Announcement, Blog

The R Consortium is pleased to announce the new 2022 R User Groups (RUGs), Conferences and Training program. This is an updated version of the RUGS program of previous years that aims to put more structure around the process of applying for support for R-themed conferences and training sessions.

The RUGS Program

The RUGS program supports R user groups and will operate in much the same way as the 2020 and 2021 RUGS programs. Because we are still all under the shadow of COVID-19, we expect user groups to hold on-line and/or in-person meetings. 

RUGS grants will have two parts: Meetup.com support and cash grants. All user groups applying for the program, except for R-Ladies groups, will be automatically enrolled in our RUGS meetup.com RUGS Pro account. If you receive a grant, we will pay the meetup.com fees for your program for the year. R-Ladies has its own Meetup.com Pro account so you need to apply directly to R-Ladies to participate. Also note that if you are already participating in our RUGS meetup.com program and you are not seeking a cash grant, you do not need to reapply.

If you are seeking a cash grant for your user group, please be explicit about how much money you are seeking and what you intend to do with the funds. Be conservative, we need to make our pool of grant money cover the entire globe. All RUGS including R-Ladies groups are eligible to apply for cash grants. 

Conference Grants

Formerly, the RUGs program was intended only for small conferences where all cash grants were limited to $1000. While $1000 is still the limit for small events, now there is a place on the enrollment form to seek funding for larger conferences. Of course, the more funds you are seeking the more justification you must provide about how your conference will benefit the R Community. Please do not apply for a conference grant until your conference website is up.

Training Sessions

Training sessions are a new category this year. Previously we treated training sessions as conferences. We realize conferences and training sessions are very different and that training sessions should be judged with their own set of criteria.

For details on requirements for each type of grant, visit the R User Groups, Conferences, and Training page on the R Consortium website and select “RUGs Program” under the Projects tab at the top of the R Consortium home page. Be sure to check the correct box on the application form.

The RUGS, Conferences and Training program for 2022 will be accepting requests for funding through the end of September 2022.

Sep 23
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EARL ONLINE 2021: HIGHLIGHTS

By Blog, Events

Originally posted on Mango Solutions website

The Enterprise Applications of the R Language Conference (EARL) is a cross-sector conference focusing on the commercial use of the R programming language. The conference is dedicated to the real-world usage of R with some of the world’s leading practitioners. This year, it was held September 6-10, 2021.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for EARL 2021 – especially to all of the fantastic presenters! We were pleased to receive lots of really positive feedback from the online event and there are plenty of highlights to share.

Branka Subotic, NATS

It was great to kick off EARL 2021 with our first keynote of the day from Branka. She has worked for NATS since 2018 and is currently their Director of Analytics. Branka shared with us interesting ways to help teams to work together and also some unusual ways to upskill! Her talk was peppered with some videos showing us flight data and the impacts of Covid.

Chris Beeley, NHS – Stronger together, making healthcare open- building the NHS-R Community

We are always delighted to hear from the NHS at the EARL Conference and this year was no exception. We were treated to a passionate talk from Chris on how the NHS-R community has been built up over the years and how their conference has gone from strength to strength. We all know how supportive the R community can be, so it is great to see this in action.

Amit Kohli – Introduction to network analysis

Amit gave us an introduction to the principles of network analysis and shared several use-cases demonstrating their unique powers. Amit also included a fun way to interact with his talk with the use of a QR code  – we can always rely on Amit to entertain us! Our team thought it was a really interesting topic and it felt accessible to those who perhaps don’t know much on the subject.

Emily Riederer, Capital One – How to make R packages part of your team

We loved Emily’s fun concept of making R packages a real part of your team and her use of code, and the choices she made along the way. Her talk examined how internal R packages can drive the most value for their organisation when they embrace an organisation’s context, as opposed to open source packages which thrive with increasing abstraction. Read our interview with Emily here.

Dr. Jacqueline Nolis, Saturn Cloud

We closed the day with our final keynote talk from Jacqueline Nolis. She is a data science leader with over 15 years of experience in managing data science teams and projects, at companies ranging from DSW to Airbnb. She currently is the Head of Data Science at Saturn Cloud where she helps design products for data scientists. Jacqueline spoke to us about taking risks in your career and shared with us the various risks she has taken over her career and how they went! It was inspiring to hear from an experienced data scientist that it’s ok to take a risk every now and then  – and refreshing to hear her honesty about what could have gone better – and how she has ultimately learned and grown from this.

These are just a few of the brilliant talks from a fantastic conference day. It was a delight to have speakers and attendees joining us from across the world – so thank you again to all that came along.

We are hoping to be back in London next year to host EARL in-person again. We are tentatively holding the 6th-8th of September 2022 as our conference dates. If you’d like to keep up-to-date on all things EARL please join our mailing list. We will open the call for abstracts in January 2022.

Jul 29
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Webinar – R Adoption Series – Scaling R at GSK

By Events

Full video recording available here (58:52 mins)

Summary: In this presentation, Andy Nicholls, Head of Data Science within GSK Biostatistics, provided an overview of GSK’s WARP environment for Biostatistics. The presentation described the key requirements that led to building the environment and included an overview of the basic technical components that enabled these requirements. Nicholls also discussed GSK support and maintenance strategy for R and R packages.

The presentation touched upon important topics that fed into the discussion:

  • Support and maintenance strategy for R
  • Controlled execution of R (GxP workflows)
  • In-house vs cloud infrastructure

Schedule

  • Intro – 10 mins
  • Case Study presentation: Scaling R at GSK – 45 mins (including 10 mins for Q&A)
  • Break – 5 mins
  • Parallel discussions – 45 mins

Speaker

Andy Nicholls is Head of Data Science within GSK Biostatistics.  He has been a user and strong advocate for the use of R for over 15 years.  Andy is responsible for driving the R adoption initiative within GSK Biostatistics.  His team helped create Biostatistics’ first dedicated analytics platform for R and developed a world-wide R training programming.  The team has also led the development of several R-based tools and applications to assist the rollout and adoption of R as a clinical and non-clinical reporting capability.  Within the wider industry, Andy is the lead for the R Validation Hub, a collaboration to support the adoption of R within a biopharmaceutical regulation setting.

Andy has an MMath degree from University of Bath and MSc Statistics with Applications in Medicine from University of Southampton.  Prior to re-joining GSK in 2017 Andy was the Head of Data Science Consultancy at Mango Solutions.

Jul 14
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R Consortium Diversity & Inclusion – Speaker Nomination

By Blog, Events

By Samantha Toet, Derrick Kearney, Sydeaka Watson, Gwynn Sturdevant, Kevin O’Brien, and Joe Rickert 

We’re trying something new and we want your support. 

One of the goals of the R-Consortium Diversity and Inclusion project is for R Consortium-affiliated events to be more representative of the wider R community. As a result, we put together a community form for you to nominate your peers to speak at upcoming R Community events. This is a great way to promote the work that your colleagues are doing, and draw speakers from varying levels of expertise.

We are working with several R-related conferences and events that are seeking recommendations for knowledgeable and engaging speakers on topics that are of interest to the R Community. Our aim is to encourage speakers from diverse backgrounds to consider speaking at R events, and we would like to build a platform to bring these potential speakers to the attention of conference program committees. 

Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/oshLzCmWm1FWduVY6

Screenshot https://benubah.github.io/r-community-explorer/rugs.html

About the R-Consortium R Community Diversity & Inclusion Project

The goal of the R Community Diversity and Inclusion Project (RCDI) is to broadly consider how the R Consortium can best encourage and support diversity and inclusion across a variety of events and platforms. Anyone is welcome to join our team, and you can find more information about joining here: https://github.com/RConsortium/RCDI-WG

Aug 17
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Thank you to our Speakers and Participants – COVID-19 Data Forum II

By Blog

The second COVID-19 Data Forum, co-sponsored by the Stanford Data Science Institute and the R Consortium, was held August 13, 2020. This series of forums brings together experts working to collect and curate data needed to drive scientific research and formulate effective public health responses to the pandemic.

The forum utilized Zoom as the video platform and allowed keynote speakers to present, as well as interact during a Q&A session.

The moderator was Sherri Rose, an associate professor at Stanford University in the Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research and Co-Director of the Health Policy Data Science Lab. 

Speakers covered topics such as current issues facing researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic such as data sharing or research duplication, how phenotype impacts severity of cases, and data inequality for under-serviced communities. Speakers also answered questions from the moderator and the chat about their work and ways individuals can get involved at all R literacy levels.

Speakers

See the COVID-19 Data Forum site to learn more about future Data Forum series virtual events!

Aug 11
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We’ll be at R/Pharma – Oct 12-15, 2020

By Blog, Events

This fall, the R Consortium’s support for advancing data science in medicine continues with the third of three exceptional events, pulling together experts in their fields, including the Covid-19 Data Forum, R/Medicine, and R/Pharma.

What is R/Pharma?

R/Pharma is an ISC working group under the R Consortium. The entire event is a community-lead effort and 100% volunteer run. R/Pharma is vendor neutral and very much an academic conference. Harvard has been very helpful in hosting the event.

To find out more and how you can participate,

https://rinpharma.com/

Aug 06
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Join us at R/Medicine – Aug 27-29, 2020

By Blog, Events

August 27-29, 5:30am PDT / 8:30am EDT / 2:30pm CEST – Register now!

Brought to you by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Yale School of Public Health, and the R Consortium, the R/Medicine conference encourages the adoption of statistical modeling and reproducible data processing in clinical practice.

R is the gold standard in reproducible research in academia and industry and has powerful capabilities to create highly-customizable interactive analytic dashboards, as well as predictive models that employ machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence. 

Presentations will showcase how the R ecosystem is currently leveraged in medical applications including clinical trial design and analysis, personalized medicine, the development of machine learning models using  laboratory and patient record data, and reproducible research. 

Registration and more info: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/r-medicine/

Sponsors

Jul 23
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Beyond Case Counts: Making COVID-19 Clinical Data Available and Useful – Aug 13, 2020

By Blog, Events

Thurs, August 13th, 9am PDT/12pm EDT/18:00 CEST – Register now!

Hosted by the COVID-19 Data Forum/Stanford Data Science Initiative/R Consortium

COVID-19 is the first pandemic to occur in the age of open data. Public health agencies around the world are releasing case counts to the public, and scientists are providing analyses and forecasts in real-time. However, the content of this data has so far been limited to simple metrics like cases, deaths, and hospitalizations at coarse geographic and demographic scales. To drive the next phase of COVID-19, scientists need access to higher-dimensional patient-level data, so we can understand how the virus causes disease, why are some more at risk than others, when and how is transmission occurring, what therapeutics are more likely to work, and what healthcare resources are being used. But sharing such data brings up tremendous challenges in terms of patient privacy and data standardization. The COVID-19 Data Forum, a collaboration between Stanford University and the R Consortium, is hosting the event “Beyond case counts: Making COVID-19 clinical data available and useful” to push the conversation forward on these issues. The event will include talks by representatives from international collaborative teams who are working to collect and share detailed clinical and biological data from individuals with COVID-19. The event will be open to the public, and is part of a continuing series focusing on data-related aspects of the scientific response to the pandemic.


Speakers include:

  • Jenna Reps, Observational Health Data Sciences & Informatics (OHDSI) Consortium /Janssen R&D
  • Andrea Ganna, COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative/Harvard Medical School/Finland Institute for Molecular Medicine
  • Ken Massey, EndPandemic National Data Consortium/Saama Technologies
  • Ryan Tibshirani, DELPHI epidemic forecasting group/Dept of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University

Registration and more info: https://covid19-data-forum.org

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