Moritz Berg Shares Insights from His Master’s Degree Project on Statistical Models for Drug Safety at Uppsala Monitoring Centre

• Time for project: spring semester 2024
• Programme: Applied Mathematics and Statistics specialization of the Master´s Programme in Mathematics
• Link to project report in DiVA

Tell us briefly about Uppsala Monitoring Centre´s activities
Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) is a non-profit organisation that focuses on drug safety and pharmacovigilance. They primarily handle post-market drug safety, analysing reports from patients who have experienced side effects. First, they run the data through statistical models—this was my focus—then pharmacovigilance experts, like doctors, review the results in detail to identify potential side effects.

What was your degree project about and what was the result?
My task was to assess whether UMC's statistical model for drug safety monitoring could be improved. They had some open questions about the robustness of the model and asked me to explore different parameters. After investigating various options, I found that the model worked well in most cases but had weaknesses in about 14% of them. This is significant, particularly in the context of drug safety, so UMC plans to examine those cases more closely. There might even be a research paper published based on my work, with my name included.

Was it your ambition to do your degree project outside the university?
Yes, I knew early on that I wanted to work in the industry after my Master's degree. I had already done a Bachelor's thesis at the university and was familiar with the process. I wanted something different this time, something that would give me practical experience. An external degree project felt like the right step to get closer to the industry.

How did you find this opportunity at UMC?
I actually found it through the maths department, which forwarded an email from UMC. I had been looking at other options through job fairs and platforms like LinkedIn, but I didn't put an enormous amount of effort into it. It’s a process. You have to apply to ten places and hope to find one. I had settled on doing a thesis at the university when this opportunity with UMC came up at the last minute.

Were you satisfied with the supervision and support you received during the project?
I had a lot of guidance, particularly at the beginning, when I was getting to know the statistical model and how UMC operated. My two supervisors at UMC were always available, and my university supervisor (subject reviewer), Shaobo, brought new perspectives that complemented the UMC team's approach. I also appreciated that UMC included me as part of their team. I was invited to all their team meetings and even small things like FIKA, which made me feel like part of the organisation and enriched my experience.

Was the process stressful, considering the limited time to complete the project?
There were definitely moments of stress. I started in January and wanted to finish by summer. The early phase of the project was the most stressful because I spent a lot of time exploring different directions without a clear focus. After two months, I still hadn’t written a single page. But my supervisors reassured me that this was normal, and eventually, I chose the direction to focus on. Towards the end, it became more intense, but I managed to complete it by June.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I think the exploration phase took a bit too long, which left less time for the actual analysis. I discussed this with my supervisors, and we all agreed that more time for the analysis would have been helpful. However, they also wanted me to experience what it’s like to work in research, where a large part of the process is about finding the right direction. In hindsight, it was valuable, but if I had to do it again, I would try to shorten that phase to allow more time for deeper analysis.

Did this experience influence your career plans?
Yes, it definitely strengthened my interest in staying within research, although not necessarily in academia. I really appreciated the mission-driven environment at UMC, where they are working for a good cause—improving drug safety globally. That kind of setting is something I would like to find in future roles.

What new skills or knowledge have you developed during your time at UMC?
Working on such a large project definitely requires different skills from the typically short projects you have during your courses so I have learnt a lot. For example, I’ve particularly improved my ability to present my findings to non-mathematical audiences, which I had to do in team meetings.

What advice would you give to other students considering an external degree project?
I would highly recommend it. It’s a great opportunity to gain practical experience and see how organisations work. You also get to find out whether you enjoy working in that field or company, which is valuable for your career decisions. Even if the project doesn’t lead to a job, it will still look good on your CV, and the experience itself is rewarding. Plus, doing it for just one semester allows you to test the waters without a long-term commitment.

And what would you say to someone who is hesitating to do an external project?
I understand the hesitation. It can be intimidating because you’re entering a new environment and may feel unsure about whether you’ll deliver the results the company expects. But I don’t think there’s any outcome that would be bad for you. Even if your results are not what the company was hoping for, negative results are useful as well. And if you don't get any results at all, you can also question whether the problem the company posed might have the wrong scope or question. You will in all situations gain experience and put yourself in a situation where you’re learning how to adapt. In the end, it’s all about stepping outside your comfort zone. You’ll have to do it eventually when you enter the job market, so why not start now, with the lower stakes of a degree project?