Background
Dr. Corey is an internationally renowned expert in virology, immunology and vaccine development, and the former president and director of Fred Hutch. His work focuses on preventing and treating viral infections, particularly in people affected by cancer or have weakened immune systems. His clinical and research interests span herpes viruses, HIV, the novel coronavirus and other viral infections that can cause serious disease.
Dr. Corey is the principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), an international research program that conducts HIV vaccine studies at more than 80 clinical trial sites across 16 countries on five continents. Under his leadership, the HVTN has become a model for large-scale, collaborative global research. He is also the principal investigator of the Fred Hutch–based operations center of the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) and co-leads the network’s vaccine testing pipeline.
In his lab, Dr. Corey studies how immune cells control herpes simplex virus, with the goal of developing vaccines that reduce viral reactivation. In the early 1980s, he worked with future Nobel laureate Dr. Gertrude Elion on the development of acyclovir, the first effective treatment for genital herpes. Then as director of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, he helped lead research that proved combination antiretroviral therapy could control HIV and reduce transmission from mothers to infants. His research also demonstrated the importance of early treatment by showing that HIV replicates in the blood early in infection.
Area of Clinical Practice
Infectious disease
