The Duke Immune Profiling Core (DIPC) has undergone major changes to ensure long-term sustainability and improved service delivery. As of September 2025, all DIPC operations have been integrated into the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) Flow Cytometry Shared Resource. This change ensures continued access to critical services in a more sustainable, cost-effective way, plus new offerings and higher standards for clinical research. This move follows the retirement of founding director Kent Weinhold, PhD, and the conclusion of financial support from the Department of Surgery and the School of Medicine.
Here’s what faculty need to know:
- Leadership and Oversight Have Expanded
Javid Mohammed, M.Sc., M.S., Director of the DCI Flow Core, now oversees both Flow Core and DIPC-related operations. A proposed title change to Director of Operations reflects his expanded role, working closely with Raphael Valdivia, PhD, chair of the Department of Integrative Immunobiology and faculty director, and Todd Leovic, administrative director of the department. - New Services Are Available for Clinical Research
Faculty can now access three major new offerings:- Human Immunophenotyping for Clinical Trials: Advanced screening of immunologic signatures to predict clinical outcomes, with rigorous QA/QC oversight.
- Clinical Cytometry Consultations: Expert guidance on study design, sample collection, data analysis, and cost estimates.
- Biorepository and Sample Processing: Standardized protocols for short- and long-term storage of clinical samples, including tumor biopsies and blood specimens.
- Enhanced Standards for Clinical Flow Cytometry
All clinical flow cytometry services now comply with International Clinical Cytometry Society (ICCS) and MIFlowCyt standards. This includes validation of assays, instrumentation qualification, and standardized reporting for reproducible, high-quality data. - Continued Support and Training for Staff
The integrated core provides supervision and training for staff handling clinical samples, ensuring adherence to biosafety protocols and ICCS/MIFlowCyt guidelines. Equipment management and maintenance are also centralized under the Flow Core for efficiency.