Matthew Halpert, PhD

Dr. Matthew Halpert is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Immunocine and a nationally recognized cancer immunologist whose work has helped advance dendritic cell–based immunotherapies from academic discovery into regulated clinical development and real-world patient care.

Dr. Halpert earned his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine in the Departments of Pathology & Immunology and Molecular and Human Genetics. He later served as faculty at Baylor College of Medicine, where his research focused on dendritic cell biology, immune polarization, and the molecular mechanisms governing durable anti-tumor immunity.

Over the course of his academic career, Dr. Halpert authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals and contributed to research supported by major funding bodies including the NIH, CPRIT, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and disease-focused cancer foundations. His work has been cited hundreds of times and has helped shape modern understanding of dendritic cell–mediated immune responses.

Dr. Halpert is a co-founder of Diakonos Research Ltd., where he served as Chief Technology Officer and helped translate foundational immunology discoveries into FDA-regulated clinical trials. Diakonos’ dendritic cell vaccine platform has advanced through multiple IND approvals and clinical studies, including trials in glioblastoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that both received FDA Fast Track designation in 2023 and subsequent awards. The program has also been recognized for innovation and impact within the cancer research community.

In 2021, Dr. Halpert founded Immunocine to address a critical gap in cancer care: patients who may benefit from advanced immunotherapy approaches but are ineligible for, or unable to wait for, traditional clinical trials. Immunocine was intentionally designed as an ethical, medically rigorous pathway that applies validated science under careful clinical oversight, rather than experimental or unregulated use.

In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Halpert is an inventor on numerous issued and pending patents spanning immuno-oncology, dendritic cell technologies, immune modulation strategies, and translational therapeutic platforms. He is a frequent invited speaker at scientific and medical conferences, has delivered CME-accredited lectures, and regularly engages in public education through media interviews and professional forums focused on emerging cancer therapies.

Dr. Halpert has served on multiple scientific and advisory boards across biotechnology, oncology, and translational medicine, reflecting his continued commitment to advancing responsible innovation. Across all his work, his guiding principle remains consistent: translate complex science into treatments that are scientifically sound, ethically delivered, and meaningfully accessible to patients who need options today.