Certara Professional Courses and Certifications

Cost - $1000 (Academia $500, Africa/India $250) Course Description This course focuses on PK/PD individual data analysis using PK compartmental models and PK/PD models. The intermediate PK/PD course will teach you how to set the models in Phoenix WinNonlin and how to interpret the results. The course will guide you through the process of selecting the best model and how to make predictions with the final model. Model selection is performed selecting library models, building the model graphically or coding the model in PML language. Course topics include nonlinear modelling theory, fitting PK data, effect compartment PK/PD models, direct and indirect response PK/PD models, analyzing binary data, designing better studies and combining data among subjects. A high level overview of population methods is provided (Note that population methods are covered in detail in courses that use Phoenix NLME). The concepts of each topic are explained in detail via instructional videos. Exercises are introduced and you are expected to practice concepts learned by performing the exercises on your own. Step by step solution videos are also provided to check your work. Your understanding of the concepts discussed is tested via short quizzes throughout the course. If you are an academic user, please contact us so we can update your account profile to give you access to academic pricing.  Note that you must register with an email address that is associated with an academic institution to get academic pricing. If you are located in Africa or India, please contact us so we can so we can update your account profile to give you access to the Africa/India pricing.  You will need to provide proof that you are physically located in India to get the pricing. Software Used Phoenix WinNonlin™  A temporary (30-day) license is provided to subscribers of this course.  When you are ready to start the practice exercises in this course, contact us to request your license. Accessing the Course After registering for this course, login to www.certarauniversity.com and see the course under the Catalog Section ‘My Courses’.  You will have access to this course for a period of 3 years after the purchase. The purchase is for a single seat in the course. No sharing the login between different individuals is allowed. Additional seats must be purchased if more than one person wishes to take the training course. Course Length:  The course provides approximately 16 hours of video instruction which includes a practical component that you can do at your own pace. It is expected to take participants about 40+ hours to complete, including time to perform the tasks in Phoenix. Prerequisites It is assumed that learners have familiarity with NCA and individual PK/PD modeling, a good background in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and prior experience with the Phoenix is recommended. Participants should also be able to perform the tasks in the following Certara University courses: Introduction to Phoenix WinNonlin (Part 1) - NCA  (122-OD-CERT or 122-LIVE-CERT) Introduction to Phoenix WinNonlin (Part 2) - Modeling (123-OD-CERT or 123-LIVE-CERT) Instructor Ana Henry has extensive experience in a variety of roles in the Pharmaceutical industry. Most recently she acted as product manager for the complete suite of Certara Pharsight desktop products, personally leading the development of Phoenix®, the industry’s premier PK/PD software platform. Currently, she is with Certara University’s Scientific Training and Education Department, tasked with training and content development of on-demand courses. Ana has extensive experience in software demonstration and training and is adept at offering technical expertise and evaluation of software products. She has trained and provided support for Phoenix WinNonlin, Phoenix Connect, Phoenix NLME, Pharsight Knowledgebase Suite, AutoPilot, PKS Reporter, Trial Simulator, and PK/PD methodology courses. Prior to Certara, Ana worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a biostatistician and a pharmacokineticist, designing, analyzing and reporting on clinical studies. Ana is also a regular guest speaker in the graduate PK/PD course at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Read more

Cost - $1,000 (Academia $500, Africa/India $250) Course Description This course will help you fill the gaps to become a better Population Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeler.  This e-learning course focuses on Population PK/PD modeling and simulation using the intuitive interface of Phoenix NLME.   This course topics include: population PK analysis with covariates, covariate search methods, complex PK models including multiple absorption processes and parent-metabolite models, Emax PK/PD models, an introduction to categorical response PD models, and modeling BLQ data in Phoenix NLME.  The concepts of each topic are explained in detail via instructional videos. Exercises are introduced and you are expected to practice concepts learned by performing the exercises on your own. Step by step solution videos are also provided to check your work. Your understanding of the concepts discussed is tested via short quizzes throughout the course. If you are an academic user, please contact us so we can update your account profile to give you access to academic pricing.  Note that you must register with an email address that is associated with an academic institution to get academic pricing. If you are located in Africa or India, please contact us so we can so we can update your account profile to give you access to the Africa/India pricing.  You will need to provide proof that you are physically located in India to get the pricing. Software Used Phoenix NLME™ A temporary (30-day) license is provided to subscribers of this course.  When you are ready to start the practice exercises in this course, contact us to request your license. Accessing the Course After registering for this course, login to www.certarauniversity.com and you will see the course on your Dashboard.  You will have access to this course for a period of 3 years after the purchase. The purchase is for a single seat in the course. No sharing the login between different individuals is allowed. Additional seats must be purchased if more than one person wishes to take the training course. Course Length:  The course provides approximately 10 hours of video instruction which includes a practical component that you can do at your own pace. It is expected to take participants about 40+ hours to complete, including time to perform the tasks in Phoenix. Prerequisites It is assumed that learners have familiarity with individual PK/PD modeling as well as introductory level population PK/PD modeling experience. Participants should have a good background in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and prior experience with the Phoenix is recommended. Participants should also be able to perform the tasks in both the following Certara University courses: Intermediate PK/PD Modeling using Phoenix WinNonlin (On-Demand 200-OD) Introduction to Population PK/PD Modeling using Phoenix NLME (On-Demand 101-OD) Instructor Christopher Mehl Christopher Mehl is a Senior Software Trainer with Certara University, and has been with Certara since 2003. His educational background is a BS in Molecular Biology from the Ohio State University, and an MS in Pharmacology from the University of Wisconsin. He has conducted over 200 training courses with Certara products such as Phoenix WinNonlin, IVIVC, NLME, PKS, and Trial Simulator. These include workshops at the US Food and Drug Administration, universities, customer sites, and courses open to the public. Read more

Sept-October 2026 Cost - $300 (Academia $150, Africa/India $75) - 6 Sessions (2-hrs each) Course Description This course is a rare opportunity to learn directly from Professor Stephen Duffull, a globally recognized pharmacometrician with over 30 years of experience. While he is widely known for his deep expertise in NONMEM and population PK/PD modeling, in this course Professor Duffull brings that same rigor, quantitative insight, and modeling discipline to RsNLME — making his instruction especially valuable for learners who are adopting RsNLME and have some prior familiarity with NONMEM. Introduction Phoenix is a comprehensive data analysis platform supporting population PK and PKPD modeling, among many other pharmacometrics approaches. For population analysis, Phoenix uses the NLME engine with the Phoenix Model Language (PML). The NLME engine can be accessed through multiple interfaces, including the Phoenix graphical user interface and R, where it is known as RsNLME. Importantly, PML code written in Phoenix runs seamlessly in R, and vice versa. PML models can be written directly in Phoenix or authored in any text editor — much like working with NONMEM control files, often by adapting an existing library model.   Scope This course covers the full modeling workflow in RsNLME: Writing PML code as text and saving it as a .MDL model file Reading NONMEM-formatted datasets into R Configuring pre-optimization settings (e.g., estimation method) Fitting the model using the NLME engine Generating goodness-of-fit (GOF) and individual plots Creating VPC and pcVPC plots Simulating from the model, bootstrap, and stepwise covariate modelling    Step 1 is performed using a text editor; steps 2–7 are performed in R. Throughout the course, PML model files are compared and contrasted with standard NONMEM control files (.MOD / .CTL). Models will be built both through a Shiny app and by directly editing existing files, using a focused set of examples that illustrate how PML model files are structured.   Learning Objectives By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to edit and adapt existing PML model files and execute them within R   Prerequisites This is a hands-on, applied course — not a theoretical one. Prior experience with a population modeling approach is required (e.g., Certara University Course 124-OD-CERT, 124-LIVE-CERT, or 207-LIVE). Some experience with NONMEM is helpful given the compare-and-contrast elements of the material, but is not mandatory.   Location Virtual Live on line via Zoom.  This short course will be taught in 3 weeks with two 2hr sessions a week.  Attendees should plan on attending live but sessions will be recorded. Format & Schedule Virtual Live Online — taught over 3 weeks with two 2-hour sessions per week. Participants are encouraged to attend live; all sessions will be recorded. Access: Recordings available for 3 months post-course Week Dates Time (EST) Week 1 Sept 28 & 30 1:00 – 3:00 PM Week 2 Oct 5 & 7 1:00 – 3:00 PM Week 3 Oct 13 & 14 1:00 – 3:00 PM   Requirements Familiarity with basic R usage Prior experience with a population modeling approach Some NONMEM experience preferred RsNLME temporary licenses will be provided.  Academic participants will receive a free RsNLME license to keep.   Certification Exam Structure: Two parts - Part 1 - Multiple Choice (2 attempts) - Part 2:  Submit the results of a Hands-on Exercise (Graded manually)   Time Commitment Estimated 4 hours/week for live sessions which includes Hands-on-exercises.  An additional 6 hours for the certification exam   Instructors Stephen Duffull is a Senior Scientific Advisor at Certara and Professor at the Universities of Otago and Queensland.  He has been working in the area of pharmacometrics and PKPD for more than 30 years during which time he has been active in research, model informed drug development, leadership roles and training. Ana Henry is an Executive Director of Training at Certara, where she leads Certara University and oversees e-learning content development. With over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, she has deep expertise in PK/PD software. She is also a regular guest speaker in the graduate PK/PD course at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.​                                                                         Read more

Cost - $525 (Academia $250) Course Description This course is intended for Phoenix users who want to extend beyond library models, to model their own data.  It provides a solid foundation and a structured approach to model building, to create your own PK and PK/PD models.  This highly practical course gives an accelerated introduction to customizing models with both the Graphical and Textual model editors in Phoenix.  It assumes that you have ideas for PK and/or PK/PD models that you want to construct, and you mainly need to know how to implement them in either the Graphical or Textual modes.  The course includes a basic introduction to PK/PD modeling and population PK modeling. There are about 3 hours of video in the course, plus interactive exercises.  You should expect to spend about 12 hours of work to finish.  You will have access to this course for a period of 3 years after purchase. If you are an academic user, please contact us so we can update your account profile to give you access to academic pricing.  Note that you must register with an email address that is associated with an academic institution to get academic pricing. If you are located in Africa or India, please contact us so we can so we can update your account profile to give you access to the Africa/India pricing.  You will need to provide proof that you are physically located in India to get the pricing. Prerequisites Learners who take either the e-learning course (100-OD) Introduction to Phoenix WinNonlin or the live online course (123-LO) PK Modeling and Simulation using Phoenix WinNonlin should have sufficient background to take this course.  Alternatively, learners should have knowledge/skills in the following areas: Knowledge of basic concepts of PK models Using Phoenix PK Library models (i.e., using the built-in options) Obtaining initial estimates for PK models (using NCA or other methods) Evaluating the fit of PK models Other Related Courses The following courses provide a deeper theoretical background, and provide a good complement to this course: (200-OD) Intermediate PK/PD Modeling using Phoenix WinNonlin (201-OD) Intermediate Population Modeling using Phoenix NLME Read more

November - December 2026 Cost - $575 (Academia $275, India $150) Course Description The objective of this intermediate course is to consolidate knowledge of PK/PD concepts and advance to performing more complicated PK/PD modeling using Phoenix WinNonlin and Phoenix NLME.  You will learn how to customize your own models beyond library models, how to interpret and present your results, perform simulations, and how to deal with different types of covariates such as occasion covariates, and much more.  This course will also cover pharmacodynamic concepts and examples. Many case studies will be presented (please see agenda below).  If you are an academic user, please contact us so we can update your account profile to give you access to academic pricing.  Note that you must register with an email address that is associated with an academic institution to get academic pricing. If you are located in India, please contact us so we can provide a coupon that will give 75% off the full price of the course.  You will need to provide proof that you are physically located in India to get the coupon. Course Format, Language and Dates This course format is as a ‘Live on-line classroom’ which means that the course is delivered virtually by an expert Phoenix instructor at pre-specified times.  This format provides the benefit of the classroom setting, with real-time interaction with the instructor but without the travel.  Although live attending is encouraged, recordings of the sessions are available to participants during the length of the course. You will have access to the recordings for 3 months following the last session of the course. This course will be delivered in English. Lecture/Demo Sessions Live Zoom sessions will occur in November and December, 2025.  There will be six two-hour lecture/demo sessions.  Lecture/Demo sessions are on Tuesdays at 10 AM New York (GMT-4), starting 4 November and finishing on 16 December.  We will record sessions and post the recordings for those who are unable to attend live.  You will have access to the recordings for 3 months following the last session of the course. Self-Paced Exercises There are five self-paced exercises in the course that guide you through exploratory data analysis, data preparation, and noncompartmental data analysis.  You do not need to run Phoenix to do the self-paced exercises, because everything is contained in the module.  Each practice exercise contains a quiz that you must pass with at least a 60% score, although you can repeat each quiz as many times as you need to pass it.  Hands-on Exercise Sessions There are also five weekly "Hands-on Exercise" Zoom sessions that give you the opportunity to carry out the same analysis as in that week's "Self-Paced Exercise", working collectively in Phoenix.  You will be divided into small groups, and will work together on the exercise.  At least one in each group will need to have Phoenix running on their computer and have an active WinNonlin license. Hands On Exercise Session Option A is offered at times most convenient for participants in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.  They are on Fridays at 11 AM New York (GMT-4).  Hands On Exercise Session Option B is offered at times most convenient for participants in Asia/Pacific.  They are on Tuesdays at 2 PM Brisbane (GMT+10).  (FYI, 2 PM Tuesday in Brisbane is late Monday evening in New York.) Prerequisites and Time Commitment Good knowledge of PK/PD concepts including compartmental models for both individual and population.  Experience with the functionality of Phoenix WinNonlin and Phoenix NLME software.  Prerequisite background courses or similar experience include:  [(123-LO) PK Modeling and Simulation and (124-LO) Introduction to Population Modeling] or [(100-OD) Introduction to Phoenix WinNonlin and (101-OD) Introduction to Population Modeling] Students are expected to be able to commit 5 hrs a week to attend sessions and complete assignments. Software Phoenix WinNonlin and Phoenix NLME Participants are expected to have a current license to Phoenix WinNonlin and Phoenix NLME.  If a 60-day software license is needed one can be provided for an additional fee.  Contact us if you want to order a license. Read more

Cost - $150 for Academics (free with purchase of RsNLME, $150 for Africa/India) Course Description This course is free for all who purchase RsNLME or Phoenix NLME.  If you have paid for RsNLME or Phoenix NLME, you can get this course for free, so contact us for a coupon code that will make the course free.  (Because RsNLME is free for academics, academic users will need to purchase this course for $150.) This course is intended for R Speaks NLME (RsNLME) users who need to know how to encode models in the Pharmacometrics Modeling Language (PML) used in Phoenix and RsNLME.  It provides a solid foundation and a structured approach to model building, to create your own PK and PK/PD models.  This highly practical course gives an accelerated introduction to writing PML models.  It assumes that you have ideas for PK and/or PK/PD models that you want to construct, and you mainly need to know how to implement them in PML.  The course includes a basic introduction to PK/PD modeling and population PK modeling. If you are an academic user, please contact us so we can update your account profile to give you access to academic pricing.  Note that you must register with an email address that is associated with an academic institution to get academic pricing. If you are located in Africa or India, please contact us so we can so we can update your account profile to give you access to the Africa/India pricing.  You will need to provide proof that you are physically located in India to get the pricing. There are about 1.5 hours of video in the course, plus interactive exercises.  You should expect to spend about 6 hours of work to finish.  You will have access to this course for a period of 3 years after purchase. Prerequisites Learners who take our introductory compartmental modeling course, which is offered in both live online and e-learning formats: (123-LIVE-CERT) Phoenix WinNonlin (Part 2) PK/PD Modeling Certification Course (Live Online) (123-OD-CERT) Phoenix WinNonlin (Part 2) PK/PD Modeling Certification Course (e-Learning) (If you took your training before these courses were launched, it could have a different course number:  100-CL, 100-OD, 123-LO, 123-LIVE) Alternatively, learners should have knowledge/skills in the following areas: Knowledge of basic concepts of PK models Using PK Models (in Phoenix or other modeling platform) Obtaining initial estimates for PK models (using NCA or other methods) Evaluating the fit of PK models Read more