Tell us about your real-world data expertise.
My career started at a competitor of MMIT, which was InsterStudy, which became HealthLeaders-Interstudy, part of Clarivate/DRG. During that time, I supported our pharma clients with projects where we were incorporating claims RWD bridged to our payer backbone. From there, I got experience with our clients’ claims-level data. I moved to a small consulting shop where we did projects using our clients’ third-party patient level data, which gave me experience in working across various data platforms. I eventually worked at building commercial data warehouses and managing the flow of data, finally landing on the client side where I got most of my experience in running various BD, patient longitudinal, forecast, targeting and such work, with a foundation on RWD.
What’s been one of the most rewarding or exciting projects that you’ve been a part of and why?
Recently, we worked in this ultra-rare pediatric population and were able to identify HCPs who weren’t on the client’s radar. This allowed them to prioritize, and I hope eventually reach, a family who may have changed the overall course of treatment for their child. It was a small pilot project and not a six-figure deal, but it was something that brought joy into what we do.
What does a day in the life of a RWD analyst look like at Norstella?
It’s anything but predictable. Each day is different, and we get to work with an incredible team and great clients. Working here has been a highlight of my career.
What types of problems are our RWD helping pharma solve?
Our RWD changes the way they look at the market. Historically, our clients looked at data from a retrospective lens, vary binary: That is what claims are. Our EMR data provides clarity on the reasons behind what’s occurring. Think of a patient who changes treatment — that’s what claims tell us. For instance, a patient moved from product A to product B, and we have no idea if it is from an adverse event, disease progression, stocking issue, payer burden, or any other reason. With EMR, we can really identify what the reason was. Compared to our competitors, our RWD provides the “why” and the “what” — not just the “what.”
When you’re not analyzing data, what do you like to do?
I got into running a few years ago and really enjoy running races. I’m not super fast, but I have traveled a lot for them and met some incredible people all over the world. If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing now, I would’ve been a chef or a sommelier. During and after college, I worked in restaurants and I always liked the chaos of so many things happening at once.