Corby Fink, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Corby Fink's research interests include:

• investigating the host immune response to emerging pathogens
• dendritic cell-based immunotherapies
• in vivo cell tracking
• molecular imaging

Dr. Corby Fink is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba. His work focuses on characterizing the host immune response to emerging pathogens in an effort to develop and enhance dendritic cell-based vaccine strategies to combat these pathogens.

Dr. Fink completed his graduate studies at Western University under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Dekaban in Robarts Research Institute where he investigated therapeutic cell migration and distribution using non-invasive fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging.

He then began his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Jimmy Dikeakos where his research focused on using Nef inhibitors as adjuvants towards a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Beginning in early 2020, his research shifted to high containment pathogens, specifically SARS-CoV-2. He was involved in studies that investigated the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and identified monoclonal antibodies with therapeutic potential. In 2022, he was awarded a Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate the use of a broad spectrum antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a small animal model.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, ON, Canada (2018)

Bachelor of Medical Sciences [BMSc (Hon)] in Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity, Western University, London, ON, Canada (2012)

Awards

Early Stage Professional Abstract Award (1 of top 3 abstracts, 650 total applicants), International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy Annual Meeting. Paris, France (2023)

Mitacs Accelerate Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022)