STInG Chat - What makes this trial great?

Francesca Orsini

Francesca is a Senior Biostatistician at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), with extensive experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials. She specialises in working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to address clinically important research questions, with a particular focus on paediatric and perinatal health. Her career spans over 15 years of applied biostatistics, during which she has provided statistical leadership across a wide range of investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials. Francesca has expertise in innovative trial designs, including stepped-wedge designs, and in developing rigorous Statistical Analysis Plans that ensure high-quality, reproducible research outputs. At MCRI and the Royal Children’s Hospital, she supports projects that translate directly into improved clinical care, spanning neonatal intensive care, oral language development, and chronic disease management. A key highlight of Francesca’s work is her leadership in large-scale collaborative trials that have the potential to transform early interventions and clinical practice. She also has a strong methodological interest in the use of estimands, ensuring that clinical trial objectives, analysis strategies, and interpretations are clearly aligned and clinically meaningful. Beyond her technical expertise, Francesca is a sought-after mentor and advisor, supporting early-career researchers and clinicians in building statistical literacy and strengthening study design. Her research focus lies in developing and applying robust statistical methodologies that bridge the gap between clinical innovation and practical implementation, ensuring that evidence generated is both scientifically rigorous and directly relevant to patient care.

Kate Francis

Kate Francis is a biostatistician with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), an Honorary (Senior Fellow) within Department of Paediatrics, the University of Melbourne and Affiliate biostatistician with Royal Children’s Hospital in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia. As a biostatistician working in research and clinical settings, she plays a vital role in ensuring all projects adhere to best practice guidelines and are transparently reported. She has served as the lead statistician for the analysis of clinical trials across a broad range of subject areas, including neonatal resuscitation, BCG for allergy and infection, convulsive status epilepticus and her work has been published in the top journals such as N Engl J Med, JAMA, and The Lancet. Most recently she was awarded the 2025 Excellence in Trial Statistics Award for her work on the PLUSS trial. Kate is also an expert in the measurement of adolescent health behaviours, determinants, and outcomes and this was recognised with her invitation to be a commissioner for the second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing which was recently released at the 2025 World Health Assembly meeting. Kate believes in the importance of gender equity, diversity, and inclusion and was key team member in helping MCRI achieve bronze accreditation in the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) program.