The Leanpub Podcast 🎙 Feat. Danielle Boyce, Author of Ten Habits of Great Data Analysts
Drawing on more than thirty years of experience in public health, biomedical informatics, data analytics, and leadership, Danielle shares the habits and mindsets that distinguish truly effective analysts from those who focus only on technical skills.
Episode Details
In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Dr. Danielle Boyce, author of Ten Habits of Great Data Analysts: Practical Tips from My Three Decades in the Field. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience in public health, biomedical informatics, data analytics, and leadership, Danielle shares the habits and mindsets that distinguish truly effective analysts from those who focus only on technical skills.
Danielle Boyce, MPH, DPA
The conversation explores the importance of curiosity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and data storytelling, along with the practical realities of working with stakeholders, making decisions under uncertainty, and helping organizations turn data into action. Danielle discusses lessons learned throughout her career, the motivations behind writing her book, and why strong analytical work is ultimately about people as much as technology.
Len and Danielle also talk about the process of writing and publishing a technical book, the value of sharing hard-earned professional knowledge, and how aspiring analysts can build rewarding careers by developing both their technical capabilities and their human skills. The episode offers practical advice for data professionals at every stage of their careers, as well as insights into lifelong learning, leadership, and professional growth in an increasingly data-driven world.
This interview was recorded on April 29, 2026.
About the Book
After more than thirty years working with researchers, clinicians, students, and patient advocacy organizations, Dr. Danielle Boyce has seen the same challenges appear again and again:
- talented analysts who were never taught how to work in real research environments
- research teams struggling to collaborate effectively with analysts
- organizations collecting valuable data but unsure how to turn those data into meaningful insights
- people who believe they are “not a data person”
This book was written to change that.
About the Author
Dr. Danielle Boyce is Principal Investigator, Real World Evidence at the ALS Therapy Development Institute. She is an experienced data engineer and analyst with graduate degrees in public health and public administration. She also serves as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Section and holds affiliations with the University of Calgary and Emory University. In addition, she is a technical consultant for Data for the Common Good at the University of Chicago.
As the parent of a child with a rare disease, Dr. Boyce has served on several patient and caregiver advisory panels for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and nonprofit organizations. Her work focuses on helping researchers, clinicians, and patient communities use real world data to better understand disease and accelerate research.
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, Jim, and their four children. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering in her community, visiting museums, baking, and doing arts and crafts with her children.
Leanpub Book LAUNCH 🚀
Clips From This Episode of the Leanpub Podcast
