Dr. Lawrence Corey is a distinguished medical virologist and former President and Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where he continues to maintain an active research laboratory. He currently holds professorships in Medicine, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, and Microbiology at the University of Washington, reflecting his multidisciplinary expertise across clinical and basic science domains. Dr. Corey received his MD from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1971 and completed his infectious disease fellowship at the University of Washington, following service as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control. His early career established the foundation for his lifelong commitment to combating viral diseases through scientific innovation and clinical application.
Dr. Corey pioneered the development of antiviral therapy for human chronic viral infections, creating groundbreaking approaches that transformed the treatment landscape for viral diseases worldwide. He has led an HSV research program continuously funded by the NIH since 1978, establishing fundamental insights into herpesvirus immunobiology and pathogenesis. As the founder and principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), he built an international collaboration spanning 80 clinical trial sites across 16 countries on five continents, creating the model for global collaborative vaccine research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Corey was selected by Dr. Anthony Fauci to lead the COVID-19 Prevention Network under Operation Warp Speed, coordinating the clinical trials that accelerated the development of life-saving vaccines.
Recognized as one of the most highly cited biomedical researchers worldwide, Dr. Corey is a member of both the US National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, having received numerous prestigious honors including the Thomas Parran Lifetime Achievement Award and the American Society of Microbiology Cubist Award. His laboratory at Fred Hutch continues to investigate the spatial and functional characteristics of tissue resident immune responses to viral infections, with particular focus on herpes simplex virus and HIV. Current research initiatives include developing immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell approaches for HIV treatment and characterizing tissue-based memory B cells to enhance antibody responses in chronic viral infections. Dr. Corey remains actively engaged in mentoring the next generation of virologists and immunologists while continuing to shape the global agenda for viral vaccine development and antiviral therapy.
