Statistician at the service of medicine
New treatment methods are helping people to live longer and longer in good health. For medical progress to be possible, meaningful scientific studies are needed. With her statistical knowledge, the trained mathematician Stefanie Hayoz creates the basis for reliable medical studies.
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Medical treatments are becoming increasingly complex. Groundbreaking innovations may be the exception, but many small steps lead to improvements that many people who consult a doctor benefit from. For new treatments to deliver what they promise, scientific studies are needed that provide solid proof of the benefits, i.e. that patients actually benefit from a new treatment.
Better treatment thanks to clean statistics
This is the task of clinical studies: investigating how treatments work in sick people. In order to prove the effectiveness of a new therapeutic approach, a large number of individual treatments must be evaluated. A scientifically sound evaluation requires specific knowledge in the field of statistics.
Stefanie Hayoz has this knowledge. The Bern native studied mathematics with a major in statistics at the university in her home town, as well as minors in biology and computer science. Hayoz wrote her doctoral thesis in statistics at the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Bern, after which she found a job at the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK). SAKK is a non-profit organization that conducts multicentre clinical trials in oncology in its network of 23 hospitals throughout Switzerland. Stefanie Hayoz has been with SAKK for twelve years. She has been head of the eight-person statistics team for five years.
Stefanie Hayoz lives in Bern with her partner and three cats. She finds her work-life balance with her two Icelandic horses, with whom she mainly enjoys riding in the countryside, but also regularly takes part in competitions.
Some personal questions for Stefanie Hayoz
Where would you like to live?
In Äkäslompolo, a village in Finnish Lapland.
What is total happiness for you?
When I'm out in nature with my horse or cross-country skiing in the snowy forest.
What is your favorite hero in a novel?
Not necessarily novel heroes, but I find the gods of the Nordic sagas, especially Loki, fascinating.
Your favorite hero in real life?
Many everyday heroes, especially nursing staff and doctors.
Your favorite painter?
Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Cézanne, William Turner
Your favorite composer?
Hans Zimmer, Robert Del Naja
Your favorite virtue?
Honesty
Your favorite activity?
Spending time with my horses, jogging, cycling, cross-country skiing but also being at home with my partner and the cats.
Your main character trait?
Direct, open communication and enthusiasm
Your favorite color?
Pink
Your favorite bird?
Puffin
What do you hate the most?
Brussels sprouts
Author: Benedikt Vogel