July 18, 2025
i-Cubed Team Fuels Innovation to Transform Clinical Research at the DCRI and Beyond
In this video, Donna Parker shares the origins and mission of i-Cubed
For the i-Cubed team, innovation is more than a priority — it’s at the center of every conversation.
i-Cubed, the Duke Clinical Research Institute's (DCRI’s) center for clinical research innovation, is comprised of talented DCRI colleagues with the resources and expertise to develop solutions that will transform clinical research for the better.
i-Cubed supports individuals, teams, and organizations in transforming their ideas into tools, technologies, and processes to benefit people everywhere.
“At the DCRI, there are so many faculty and staff who have been working on projects and have made their clinical trials better, faster, more efficient, and open to different people,” explained Donna Parker, i-Cubed operations director. “What we want to do is help those people who have these amazing ideas think through whether there is a commercial opportunity.”
A Culture of Innovation
At its core, i-Cubed is about people — those who imagine new possibilities and those who help make them real. The team fosters a culture of curiosity, inclusivity, and mentorship, where new ideas are welcomed.
The i-Cubed core team is comprised of Executive Director Micky Cohen-Wolkowiez, Operations Director Donna Parker, Partner Innovations Project Manager Brian Blackmon, Associate Director Christoph Hornik, Startup Innovations Project Manager Samantha Raines, Associate Director Aparna Swaminathan, and Strategy Director Willette Wilkins.
Parker, Blackmon, and Raines are fully dedicated to i-Cubed, while other team members contribute through partial appointments alongside their other roles at Duke. The team maintains its momentum through weekly product core meetings, bi-weekly cross-functional incubation sessions, and quarterly leadership meetings to align on strategy and generate new ideas. A culture of collaboration supports open idea-sharing, experimentation, and rapid iteration.
“Our team brings together decades of clinical research experience, and several members of this team wear multiple hats across the DCRI,” Cohen-Wolkowiez said. “That perspective keeps us intimately familiar with the challenges at hand and enables us to develop solutions that work in the real world.”
i-Cubed works closely with experts across DCRI to gather input that informs product design and implementation. The center is fully embedded within the broader Duke research ecosystem, focused on developing services and tools that streamline clinical trial operations, guided by an ethos of entrepreneurial thinking and practical, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
The i-Cubed Advisory Board includes experts in medicine, clinical research, technology, and finance who are committed to the i-Cubed mission.
“The i-Cubed team truly bridges the gap between our vast clinical and operational expertise and commercial viability,” said Adrian Hernandez, DCRI Executive Director and i-Cubed Advisor. “As DCRI’s hub for innovation, i-Cubed enables us to anticipate and adapt to future opportunities and challenges. It is a long-term investment in both DCRI’s capabilities and the future of clinical research.”
Celebrating a Year of Milestones
In its first year, the i-Cubed team supported the launch of a wide range of innovations — from digital health platforms to recruitment tools — demonstrating the breadth and depth of innovation at the DCRI. These startups are just the beginning of a portfolio intended to make meaningful differences in the speed, efficiency, and impact of clinical research.
Launched i-Cubed innovations:
- ExecRx: A new model to help health innovation companies scale and grow by connecting them to on-demand medical and scientific expertise
- KidsHeart: A sleek healthcare delivery platform to engage families and conduct pediatric cardiovascular studies
- BlueButton: A novel method to enhance the connection between patient data and health insurer information, as well as other systems
- PreMatch 360: A pre-screening solution that addresses recruitment challenges to minimize screen failure, increase engagement, and accelerate trial timelines
- Luminate Insights: An educational and training provider focused on strengthening clinical research capacity
The team has also held the first two events in its Innovation Spotlight series, showcasing emerging startups and fostering dialogue among Duke’s research community.
“We’re here to help innovators at any stage,” Parker said. “Whether you’re refining a concept or ready to launch, we have the resources, mentorship, and infrastructure to bring your vision to life.”
The i-Cubed Approach
i-Cubed supports innovation through two unique verticals:
- Startup Innovations: This path is dedicated to supporting innovators within the DCRI and Duke University by fostering collaboration and assisting them in transforming their ideas into thriving commercial ventures
- Partner Innovations: This path involves partnering with industry innovators, specifically those in the biopharma and health technology spaces, to refine and test groundbreaking ideas
“We’ve built a multidisciplinary ecosystem that brings together the right people, tools, and expertise to move ideas forward,” Parker said.
How to Collaborate with the i-Cubed Team
If you’re a DCRI or Duke University colleague with a new idea, the team encourages you to reach out. From early-stage consultation to full-scale development and launch, they want to support DCRI and Duke colleagues in bringing innovative ideas to life.
“If you’re wondering whether your idea is ready, the answer is: let’s talk,” Parker said. “We’re here to Imagine, Incubate, and Ignite together.”
To collaborate with the i-Cubed team, please contact icubedcenter@duke.edu.
You can also submit your idea here.
