ICSA Mentor-Mentee Program (IM2)
The International Chinese Statistical Association (ICSA) Mentor-Mentee Program (IM²) is a pioneering initiative aimed at empowering the next generation of statisticians. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by junior statisticians particularly those transitioning from academia to industry. Our IM² Program provides a structured and supportive platform for professional growth. The transition from academic environments to industry roles often involves adapting to new collaborative settings, evolving communication expectations, and navigating both internal and external influences. To address these challenges, the IM² Program was established to facilitate experience sharing and mentorship, thereby easing this critical career shift.
🎯 Mission & Vision
The IM² Program is designed to support junior statisticians—especially students nearing graduation and early-career professionals—as they transition from academia to industry. By fostering mentorship connections with seasoned statisticians, the program aims to:
– Provide professional guidance and career development.
– Strengthen industry-academia collaboration.
– Enhance ICSA’s visibility and community engagement.
🧭 Program Structure
– Monthly Mentoring Lounge: A one-hour Zoom-based session featuring 2–3 mentors from a specific industry sector (e.g., pharma, finance, data science).
– Interactive Format: Mentees can ask questions live or submit them in advance.
– Mentor Criteria: ≥3 years of industry experience and willingness to share insights in a collaborative setting.
– Registration: Open to ICSA members via Google form
🧑🤝🧑 Who Should Join?
– Mentees: Graduate students and early-career statisticians interested in industry roles.
– Mentors: Experienced professionals from industry or government with a passion for mentoring.
📢 Get Involved
Whether you’re a student seeking direction or a professional eager to give back, the IM² Program offers a meaningful platform for mentorship and growth.
📧 Stay tuned on ICSA newsletter and LinkedIn page for latest news.
📧 Questions? Contact the IM2 Committee at mentorship@icsa.org.
🔗 Interested in becoming a Mentor or Mentee? Register via the registration links below.
Mentor Link: https://forms.gle/LPgpxeZsFw92ZXw26
Mentee Link: https://forms.gle/xNwKc45sisg1YgZC8
🧑🤝🧑ICSA Mentor-Mentee Program (IM²) Committee
- Yushi Liu (Eli Lilly) – Program Co-Chair
- Hanfei Xu (Eli Lilly) – Program Co-Chair
- Jun Zhao (Antengene) – Committee Member, ICSA Executive Director
- Wei Shen (Eli Lilly) – Committee Member
- Xun Chen (Abbvie) – Committee Member, ICSA President 2024
- Yabing Mai (Abbvie) – Committee Member
- Rong Chen (Rutgers) – Committee Member, ICSA President 2026
- Hongyu Zhao (Yale) – Committee Member, ICSA President 2025
- Tsui-Feng Wu (Ohio State University) – Committee Member
- Zhe Sun (Eli Lilly)- Program Volunteer
- Meilin Jiang (Eli Lilly)- Program Volunteer
Upcoming Event
🎯 Mentor–Mentee Roundtable Lunch Program
The ICSA Applied Statistics Symposium plans to offer a Mentor–Mentee Roundtable Lunch Program as part of the 2026 in-person meeting. This interactive session is designed to foster career guidance, networking, and knowledge sharing between students, early-career statisticians, and experienced professionals in the pharmaceutical and biostatistics fields.
The 2026 Mentor–Mentee Roundtable Lunch will be held during a scheduled lunch hour (65 minutes) and will follow a structured, rotating roundtable format to maximize engagement and exposure to multiple mentors.
🤝 Session Format
Duration: 12pm-1pm (Lunch Hour), June 15th
Structure:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Roundtable Mentoring Discussions
- Each table will host 1–2 senior statisticians serving as mentors.
- Mentees (students and early-career statisticians) will participate in small groups.
- Mentors rotate between tables every 20 minutes, allowing mentees to interact with multiple experts.
- Closing Summary
Lunch:
A complimentary lunch will be provided for all registered participants.
💬 Interaction Style
This session is designed to be highly conversational and participant-driven. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn directly from experienced professionals.
Discussion topics may include:
- Career development and advancement in pharmaceutical statistics
- Transitioning from academia to industry
- Day-to-day work in biopharma and biotech organizations
- Regulatory submissions and cross-functional collaboration
- Statistical challenges in drug development
- Emerging industry trends, including real-world evidence, Bayesian methods, and AI/ML in clinical trials
🎯 Target Audience
This program is especially designed for:
- Undergraduate and graduate students in statistics, biostatistics, data science, or related fields
- Early-career statisticians with 0–3 years of experience
- Individuals interested in transitioning into the pharmaceutical or biotech industry
Participation is open to ICSA members and registered symposium attendees.
🌟 Mentors
- Naitee Ting: ASA Fellow, 2025 ASA Mentoring Award recipient, and retired pharmaceutical statistician.
- Rong Liu: Executive Director at Eli Lilly, leading statistical strategy for diabetes programs.
- Margaret (Meg) Gamalo: Vice President and Statistics Head at Pfizer, specializing in biostatistics and regulatory science.
- Ziqian Geng: Senior Director at AbbVie, focusing on immunology clinical development and regulatory submissions.
- Grace Li: Senior Director at Eli Lilly’s Statistical Innovation Center, focusing on Bayesian methods and AI in study design.
- Bidan Huang: Therapeutic Area Statistics Head at AbbVie, leading statistical strategy across multiple disease areas.
- Jeen Liu: Head of Biostatistics and Data Management at Regeneron, with broad drug development experience.
🧭 Organizers
- Organizer: Yushi Liu, Hanfei Xu
- Co‑Organizers: Jun Zhao, Hongzhe Li, Hongtu Zhu, Xun Chen, Yabing Mai, Wei Shen, Hongyu Zhao, and Rong Chen
🎯 Past sessions
October 1, 2025 2:00-3:00PM EST
First ICSA Mentoring Lounge
Panelist: Margaret Gamalo (Pfizer), Wei Shen (Eli Lilly and Company), Xun Chen (Abbvie)
Moderator: Yushi Liu (Eli Lilly and Company), Hanfei Xu (Eli Lilly and Company)
December 5, 2025 2:00-3:00PM EST
ICSA Mentoring Lounge – From Statistics to Tech Industry
Panelist: Chang Liu (Google), Zerui Zhang (LinkedIn)
Moderator: Yushi Liu (Eli Lilly and Company), Hanfei Xu (Eli Lilly and Company)
February 20, 2026 2:00-3:00PM EST
ICSA Mentoring Lounge – Data Science in Pharma
Panelist: Haoda Fu (Amgen), Zhaoling Meng (Sanofi)
Moderator: Yushi Liu (Eli Lilly and Company), Hanfei Xu (Eli Lilly and Company)
April 20, 2026 2:00-3:00PM EST
ICSA Mentoring Lounge – From Statistics to Finance Industry
Panelist: Lei Chen, Roy Tang
Moderator: Yushi Liu (Eli Lilly and Company), Hanfei Xu (Eli Lilly and Company), Meilin Jiang ((Eli Lilly and Company) and Zhe Sun (Eli Lilly and Company)