Corey Smith
Professor | Group Leader
Translational & Human Immunology
corey.smith@qimrberghofer.edu.au
CAREER HISTORY
Professor Corey Smith completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2004 and joined QIMR Berghofer to develop novel cellular immunotherapies to treat viral-associated diseases and cancer in humans. His contribution to the field of cellular immunotherapy is evident by his lead author role on multiple first-in-man publications assessing T cell immunotherapy for treatment of virus associated-diseases and key contributions to many other studies on virus-specific T cell immunotherapy.
Professor Smith led the development of the first Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) licenced manufacturing process for the production of T cell immunotherapy in Australia for a Phase I/II trial in (EBV) Epstein–Barr virus-associated diseases. He also has an established record of accomplishment in the immunological characterisation of human viral T cell immunity particularly in settings of immunocompromise and disease.
His work in developing innovative cellular immunotherapy technologies and their successful clinical translation at QIMR Berghofer has been recognised by a major international collaborative research partnership with Atara Biotherapeutics to develop and manufacture cell therapies at the Institute. Professor Smith co-leads this programme at QIMR Berghofer and acts as a consultant to Atara Biotherapeutics. Due to the successful establishment of this commercial partnership, he was promoted to Team Head in 2017 and leads the Translational and Human Immunology Laboratory. Professor Smith’s group continues to develop novel therapies for viral diseases in humans and has recently commenced a research program on T cell immunity in COVID-19 patients.
CURRENT APPOINTMENTS
- Team Head, QIMR Berghofer
- Consultant, Atara Biotherapeutics
ORCID NUMBER
CURRENT AREA OF RESEARCH
Professor Smith’s current area of research focuses on understanding and augmenting T cell control of cancer and infectious diseases, the development of T cell immunotherapy to treat patients with infectious diseases and cancer and to understand the mechanisms that improve the efficacy of these therapies.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
- Lead author on a Phase I study of a T cell therapy platform for patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme
- Lead author on a Phase I study of a T cell therapy platform for (CMV) Cytomegalovirus – associated disease in solid-organ transplant patients
- Lead author on Phase I study of T cell therapy for EBV-associated Nasopharnygeal Carcinoma
- development of an immunotherapy platform targeting EBV in Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients that has been licenced to Atara Biotherapuetics
- developed the immunotherapy platform for the first T cell therapy licenced for GMP manufacture by the TGA
- developed novel insights into mechanisms of immune dysfunction and immune evasion that promote immune evasion in cancer and immunosuppressed patients
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Australasian Society for Immunology (ASI)
- International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT)
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- PhD 2004
- BSc Honours 1999