Larry Corey

Dr. Larry Corey is a renowned virologist and immunologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where he leads the Corey Lab focused on chronic viral infections and host immune responses. He previously served as president and director of the institution (2010-2014) and was senior vice president and co-director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VIDD).

Dr. Corey's research spans multiple critical areas:

• Pathogenesis of chronic viral infections, particularly herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), HIV, and SARS-CoV-2
• Host immune responses in the genital tract tissue microenvironment
• Development of immunotherapeutic methods to control viral reactivation
• Preclinical studies using genetically engineered T cells to target HIV reservoirs

His laboratory pioneered the discovery that HSV-2 specific tissue resident memory (TRM) T cells persist in genital mucosa, with a unique CD8αα+ subset positioned at the dermal-epidermal junction adjacent to sensory nerve endings. These cells remain active during clinically quiescent periods, producing antiviral factors that control subclinical reactivation.

Analysis of recent publications reveals a strong trend toward translational immunology, combining advanced virology with cutting-edge cellular engineering techniques to develop novel therapeutic approaches for persistent viral infections. His work bridges fundamental immunological mechanisms with clinical applications for HSV-2 and HIV.

Dr. Corey has received significant recognition including election to the Institute of Medicine (2008) and substantial research funding such as a $2.6 million grant for CAR T cell HIV research. He has secured major funding through the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), which is headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

His laboratory maintains extensive collaborations with the University of Washington Virology Research Clinic (Drs. Anna Wald and Christine Johnston), Seattle Children's Hospital, and Oregon Health Sciences University. The Corey Lab has developed innovative technical approaches including cell-specific laser capture microdissection, single-cell sorting with emulsion-based microfluidics, and TCR reporter systems to evaluate antigen specificity of tissue-resident T cells.