Epidemiology Consulting

Rigorous population science
for the decisions that matter.

Northeast Epi partners with pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and biotech firms to deliver epidemiological research that holds up under scrutiny, from FDA submissions to peer-reviewed publication.

Explore Our Services
Epidemiology
Disease burden & natural history
Market Access
HTA, value dossiers & payer evidence
Biostatistics
SAS programming & statistical methods
Rare Disease
Population sizing & patient identification

Precision. Clarity. Results.


2025
Journal
New Publication
Marked Under-Diagnosis of LEMS in Small Cell Lung Cancer published in Frontiers in Oncology.
Mar 25
Poster
Conference Presentation
Poster presented at the NANOS 51st Annual Meeting on autonomic symptom differentiation in LEMS vs. myasthenia gravis.
Nov 24
Poster
Conference Presentation
Poster presented at the American Autonomic Society on paraneoplastic neurological syndromes in small-cell lung cancer.

Epidemiology services built for drug development

We bring academic rigor and real-world pragmatism together, giving pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and biotech firms the epidemiological support they need, scoped to the project and not a retainer.

Disease Burden & Epidemiology Studies

Prevalence, incidence, and natural history analyses, including rare disease population sizing, designed to support regulatory submissions and market access strategy.

FDA submissions · Market access

Real-World Evidence Study Design

Observational study design, retrospective chart review protocols, and healthcare claims data analysis, supporting RWE strategies for regulatory and commercial purposes.

Observational · Claims · RWE

Patient Population Sizing & Segmentation

Bottoms-up patient funnel modeling, from diagnosed prevalence to addressable trial populations, with explicit epidemiological assumptions and sensitivity analyses.

Rare disease · Gene therapy · Orphan

Clinical Trial Endpoint & Protocol Review

Independent scientific review of study endpoints, statistical assumptions, and patient selection criteria, providing an external epidemiological lens before submission or publication.

Protocol · Endpoints · Power

Patient Identification & Enrollment Analysis

Chart review design, site-level enrollment gap analysis, and patient identification strategies for rare and ultra-rare disease trials, with a focus on improving recruitment efficiency.

Enrollment · Recruitment · Chart review

Manuscript & Scientific Writing Support

Methods sections, epidemiological background, and results interpretation for peer-reviewed publications and regulatory briefing documents, with a track record of published RWE research.

Publications · Regulatory · Methods

Biostatistics & SAS Programming

Statistical analysis plan development, survival analysis, time-varying covariate modeling, and competing risks methods, with hands-on SAS programming for clinical and real-world datasets.

SAS · Survival analysis · Competing risks

Published work, presented at leading scientific venues

Peer-reviewed and conference-presented research conducted in partnership with pharmaceutical sponsors and academic medical centers.

Frontiers in Oncology · 2025 · Peer-Reviewed Journal
Marked Under-Diagnosis of Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome in Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Analysis of Real-World Claims Data
Drapkin BJ, Morrell DJ, Grebla R, Shechter G, Gerber DE. Front. Oncol. 15:1650373. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1650373
Peer-Reviewed · LEMS · Real-World Evidence
NANOS Annual Meeting · March 2025 · Tucson, AZ
Autonomic Symptoms Differentiate Lambert–Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome from Myasthenia Gravis among Patients with Certain Ocular Signs
Lee AG, Shechter G, Lay L, Grebla R. Poster 272. North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society 51st Annual Meeting. Tucson, Arizona. March 15–20, 2025.
Rare Disease · LEMS · Neuro-Ophthalmology
American Autonomic Society · November 2024 · Santa Barbara, CA
Autonomic Symptoms May Suggest Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes in Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Shechter G, Morrell D, Grebla R, Vernino S. Poster 65. American Autonomic Society 35th International Symposium. Santa Barbara, California. November 6–9, 2024.
Oncology · PNS · SCLC
IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer · September 2024 · San Diego, CA
Real-World Trends in Screening and Evaluation of Paraneoplastic Syndromes Among Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer
Shechter G, Morrell D, Grebla R, Iams W. E-Poster EP.17A.06. IASLC WCLC. San Diego, California. September 7–10, 2024.
Screening · Real-World Evidence · SCLC
Selected peer-reviewed and conference-presented research. Full abstracts available upon request.

Representative client work

The following engagements are illustrative of our consulting practice. All client details are confidential.

Confidential Biotech · Rare Disease Due Diligence
Epidemiological Validation

Epidemiological Due Diligence Across Multiple Acquisition Targets

Retained by a biotech acquirer to independently validate epidemiological estimates and addressable market assumptions presented by multiple acquisition target companies across seven rare disease indications, including X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), fungal keratitis, cold agglutinin disease, myasthenia gravis, nephrotic syndrome, CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, tuberous sclerosis complex, and refractory status epilepticus. Work involved critically assessing disease prevalence, incidence, and patient population sizing claims against published literature and real-world benchmarks, providing the buyer with an objective scientific basis for evaluating target credibility and informing acquisition decision-making.

Early-Stage Biotech · Autoimmune
Strategic Advisory

Indication Prioritization & Target Selection for an Autoimmune Antibody Program

Evaluated disease indications best aligned to a novel autoimmune target, incorporating epidemiological burden analysis, patient population sizing, and competitive pipeline assessment. Deliverables included a slide deck supporting target selection and external stakeholder engagement. The recommended target was selected for advancement.

Commercial-Stage Biotech · Cardiovascular
Regulatory Epidemiology

Orphan Indication Analysis for a Cardiovascular Asset

Analyzed potential new orphan disease indications for a commercial-stage cardiovascular asset, evaluating whether the epidemiology supported FDA orphan designation eligibility. Deliverables included a quantitative epidemiological model and summary slide deck to support internal indication prioritization and regulatory strategy discussions.

CRO · Cross-Indication
Methods Development

FDA Clinical Trial Diversity Framework Development

Developed an epidemiology-based methodological framework for clinical trial diversity planning in alignment with FDA diversity guidance. Included an analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov data to identify enrollment shortfalls across high-impact disease indications including diabetes, hypertension, and NASH. Work informed published thought leadership produced by the client organization.

Confidential Pharma · Atopic Dermatitis & Rare Genetic Disorder
HTA Evidence Synthesis

End-to-End Systematic Literature Reviews Across Two Disease Areas

Executed full systematic literature reviews across two disease areas, atopic dermatitis and a rare genetic disorder, encompassing literature search, retrieval, screening, data abstraction, and abstraction workbook development for downstream biostatistical modeling. Delivered final evidence synthesis reports to support health technology assessment submissions.

Confidential Pharma · Infectious Disease
Pipeline Strategy

Epidemiological Landscape Analysis for Vaccine Target Prioritization

Conducted a forward-looking epidemiological analysis of infectious disease burden to support vaccine pipeline development and business development strategy. Included systematic literature review, disease-level ranking by prevalence, geographic distribution, and severity, and a prioritized target assessment to facilitate internal strategic decision-making.

A scientist who speaks the language of drug development

Northeast Epi was founded by Regina Grebla, PhD to bring together two worlds that rarely meet: the methodological rigor of academic epidemiology and the pragmatism of drug development. The result is research that holds up under peer review and delivers in clinical operations.

  • PhD & MPH, Epidemiology
    Doctoral and graduate training in quantitative epidemiological methods, study design, and biostatistics
  • 10+ Years Healthcare Research
    Spanning academic epidemiology, clinical research, and institutional healthcare analytics
  • Peer-Reviewed & Conference-Presented Research
    10+ peer-reviewed and conference-presented research outputs across rare disease, oncology, and neuromuscular indications
  • Large-Scale Claims Data Experience
    Extensive experience with nationally-representative claims databases; cohort design, patient identification, and rare-event methods
  • Rare Disease Specialization
    Deep expertise across neuromuscular, ophthalmic, oncologic, and genetic rare diseases, including patient identification, enrollment analysis, and diagnostic gap quantification
"Good epidemiology doesn't just answer the question you asked — it tells you whether you asked the right question."
Our guiding principle

We work as an embedded scientific partner, not a vendor. Engagements are scoped collaboratively, delivered with full methodological transparency, and sized to your actual needs.

Straightforward engagements.
No unnecessary overhead.

We keep our process simple and transparent, because your timeline matters.

01

Scoping call (30 min)

We start by understanding what you actually need, not what sounds right in an RFP. Most projects take shape in a single conversation.

02

Fixed-scope proposal

You receive a clear written proposal: deliverables, methods, timeline, and fees. No surprises, no scope creep without a conversation first.

03

Delivery with full methodological transparency

Every analysis is documented with explicit assumptions, data sources, and limitations. You should be able to defend the methodology to an FDA reviewer or a scientific advisory board.

04

Follow-on support as needed

We're available for questions, revisions, and extensions, on your schedule and not a retainer clock.

Where we've done the deepest work

Our experience spans rare and ultra-rare diseases, neuromuscular conditions, oncology-adjacent indications, and infectious disease, with fluency in the regulatory and commercial landscape for each.

Neuromuscular Disease
Rare & Orphan Disease
Paraneoplastic Disorders
Autoimmune Neurology
Rare Pediatric Disease
Thoracic Oncology
Dermatology & Immunology
Cardiovascular
Infectious Disease & Vaccines
Gene & Cell Therapy
Ophthalmology
Autoimmune & Inflammatory
CNS & Epilepsy

Let's talk about your project

We work with pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and biotech firms on a project basis, from targeted population analyses to full observational study design. Reach out to start a conversation about your needs.

info@northeastepi.com
(617) 651-1730
Greater Boston

Start a conversation

Tell us about your project and we'll be in touch within one business day.