Nathaniel D. Phillips, PhD
Data and Decision Scientist
I design decision science systems for people and computers
I've worked at (or for) these places
My colleagues say nice things about me
"Nathaniel and I worked together to deliver real-world-evidence outcomes. Nathaniel served as the lead programmer, ensuring that the project ran smoothly, remained ahead of schedule, and met the highest standards of accuracy in the final deliverables. The most valuable part of working together was learning from his expertise, not only his deep technical knowledge in real-world evidence, but also his skill in client communication and navigating evolving requests effectively and without losing focus on the end goal. I would highly recommend Nathaniel, as he brings a combination of technical expertise, reliability, and strategic communication that makes him an exceptional partner on complex, RWE projects."
Melyssa Minto, PhD
Computational Biologist, Flatiron Health
"I had the pleasure of working with Nathaniel on a project focused on demonstrating the downstream value of psychiatric care. He was thoughtful, open-minded, and highly logical in his approach. Nathaniel communicated clearly, helped bring structure to complex ideas, and played a key role in developing the plan. The most valuable element he brought to the project was his ability to think rigorously while remaining receptive to different perspectives. I learned a great deal from our time working together and would absolutely recommend him to others seeking a strategic collaborator."
Dr. Jacob Kannarkat
Physician, Yale University School of Medicine, Talkiatry
Here are some numbers. Aren't they fancy?
250M+
Patient records across EHR, claims, and survey data
500+
Students and professionals trained in data science and decision-making
10+
Organizations supported, from Big Pharma to early-stage startups
8+
Disease areas spanning oncology, neurology, and psychiatry
5+
Peer-reviewed publications in decision science, psychology, and health outcomes
5+
International conferences presented at, including INFORMS, Judgment and Decision Making, and rstudio::conf
My work follows a single thread: reduce overwhelming data complexity to its essential signal.
See the projectsWhat I Do
Build the Infrastructure for Better Decisions
I design and build the analytics infrastructure that turns complex data into something an organization can navigate and act on.
Connect Technology with Humans
I design systems at the intersection of technological products and human needs and capabilities. I believe that may be close to the definition of a Human Factors engineer, but I don't know for sure.
How I Do It
Start With the End in Mind
If you don't know where you're going, you'll get nowhere fast.
Be Resourceful
Borrow, copy, rename. Give credit.
How I Work With People
Remember the goose with the golden eggs
Remember the fable of the golden goose: take care of your people and they'll produce remarkable work; burn them out chasing short-term results and you'll end up with no goose, and no golden eggs. It's also a horrible thing to do to someone.
Be Kind
Just be as kind as you can.
Let's Talk
Whether you're a pharma team designing a real-world evidence study, a startup building analytics infrastructure, or a researcher looking for a collaborator: I'd like to hear what you're working on.
Fun fact: I wrote a free, open-source statistics textbook called YaRrr! The Pirate's Guide to R. It's been used by thousands of students worldwide. Yes, there are pirate jokes.
Read it