Quercus Insights supports drug discovery and development programs at the interface of biology, mathematics, and strategy. Typical engagements includes:

• experiment design and data strategy

• framing and analyzing questions around combinations, sequencing, and resistance

• development of fit-for-purpose mechanistic models and virtual populations

• simplifying and documentation of existing models

• creation of tailored methods when standard approaches do not align with the problem

Projects are scoped around specific questions, data, and constraints, rather than around a fixed modeling template.

For more detail, see the Services page.

Most engagements are with early-stage and growing organizations, including:

• start-ups that have promising mechanisms and limited experiment slots, but no internal modeling group

• small quantitative teams within larger organizations needing support on specific problems

• academic–industry collaborations where quantitative methods can help connect hypotheses, experiments, and potential therapeutic strategies

For more on how we support early-stage teams, see For Startups.

Across projects, the approach is consistent 

• Start from decisions and constraints

• Design studies with an eye for what they can and cannot tell us

• Use mechanistic models as tools, not products

• Make assumptions and methods explicit so they can be scrutinized and re-used

For more detail, see the Approach page.

“Quercus” is the Latin name for the oak, and is also a literary reference to a fictional novel about an oak standing over a valley, observing events large and small over long periods of time, while an observer in its branches uses an apparatus to collect impressions. 

For Quercus Insights, the oak suggests attention to both fine detail and overall pattern, integration of information from multiple vantage points, and use of quantitative thinking to organize complex systems.

For more detail, see the About page.

Initial discussions are brief and exploratory. They focus on understanding:

• the current stage of the program

• the main decisions and constraints over the next 6–18 months

• whether there is a well-posed role for quantitative support at this time

If it appears that Quercus Insights can add value, a small, clearly defined first engagement, such as an experiment design review, a focused “puzzle” consultation, or a compact modeling exercise, can be scoped.

A short description of your program and a way to reach you are usually sufficient to begin that conversation. If this is of interest, please contact us at info@quercusinsights.com