Dillon Corvino, PhD
T cell & NK cell biology · Immuno-oncology · Single-cell multi-omics
Immunologist with 6+ years of postdoctoral experience across tumour immunology, viral immunity, and translational immuno-oncology. I combine wet-lab expertise in human primary tissue and genetic engineering with independent end-to-end single-cell and spatial multi-omics analysis.
My focus is understanding cytotoxic lymphocyte biology and advancing cell therapy strategies from discovery through publication.
Open to Scientist / Senior Scientist roles in cell therapy and computational immunology across the EU and Australia
Experience
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Jun 2025 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher
University Hospital Bonn · Abdullah Lab
Leading an independent programme on unconventional T cell state transitions and tissue-resident immunity in antiviral and chronic disease (LCMV, liver fibrosis). Hiring lead for 3 PhD students and 2 technicians.
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2024
Our daughter was born
Our family grew.
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Jun 2023 – present
Scientific Consultant
Axelia Oncology · Melbourne, Australia
Immunological data analysis and interpretation for a clinical-stage innate immunotherapy programme in solid tumours. The industry side of the same questions.
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Mar 2020 – Jun 2025
Postdoctoral Researcher
University Hospital Bonn · Bald Lab · Bonn, Germany
Owned the NK cell cancer immunotherapy programme. Ran single-cell and spatial multi-omics analyses end to end, engineered primary human NK and CD8 T cells, and secured the BMBF GO-Bio grant as sole PI.
- PaperNKG7 as a stable cytotoxicity marker · EJI 2025
- PaperType I IFN T cell state · EJI 2025
- CodeCorvino_etal_2024_EJI
- PaperGLORIA phase I/II glioblastoma trial · Nat Commun 2024
- PaperTregs vs bispecific antibodies · Haematologica 2024
- GrantBMBF GO-Bio Initial · €100k · sole PI
- GrantImmunoSensation2 Innovation Fund · €10k
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Mar 2020
Moved from Brisbane to Bonn
New country, new lab, new language. Australia to Germany, and the start of the NK cell immunotherapy programme.
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Sep 2019 – Feb 2020
Postdoctoral Researcher
QIMR Berghofer · Brisbane, Australia
Single-cell profiling of tumour-infiltrating NK and CD8 T cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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2015 – 2019
PhD, Immunology
QIMR Berghofer / University of Queensland · Supervisor Prof. Rajiv Khanna
Thesis: strategies for improving adoptive T-cell immunotherapy.
- PaperT cell repertoire remodelling after T cell therapy · JCI 2019
- PatentProvisional AU 2017904567 · immunocompetence biomarkers
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2011 – 2014
BBiomedSci, Honours Class I
Griffith University · Australia
Where the lab work started.
Core expertise
Code
See github.com/Eomesodermin for all public repositories.
Code behind the papers
Tools and analyses
Publications
Type I Interferon Drives a Cellular State Inert to TCR-Stimulation and Could Impede Effective T-Cell Differentiation in Cancer
European Journal of Immunology, 2025
Why it matters A candidate mechanism for T cell therapy failure, and a target for improving personalised immunotherapy.
NKG7 is a stable marker of cytotoxicity across immune contexts and within the tumor microenvironment
European Journal of Immunology, 2025
Why it matters A stable cytotoxicity readout with use for patient stratification and immune monitoring in the clinic.
L-RNA aptamer-based CXCL12 inhibition combined with radiotherapy in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma: dose escalation of the phase I/II GLORIA trial
Nature Communications, 2024
Why it matters Phase I/II evidence for adding CXCL12 inhibition to radiotherapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Adipocyte Precursor-Derived NRG1 Promotes Resistance to FGFR Inhibition in Urothelial Carcinoma
Cancer Research, 2024
Regulatory T cells hamper the efficacy of T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody therapy
Haematologica, 2024
Why it matters Regulatory T cells limit the efficacy of T-cell-engaging bispecific antibodies, a factor for therapy design.
Stressed out: NKp46 binds ecto-calreticulin
Immunology and Cell Biology, 2023
STING activation promotes autologous type I interferon-dependent development of type 1 regulatory T cells during malaria
Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2023
Plasticity of NK cells in Cancer
Frontiers in Immunology, 2022
NKG7 Is Required for Optimal Antitumor T-cell Immunity
Cancer Immunology Research, 2022
CD155 on Tumor Cells Drives Resistance to Immunotherapy by Inducing the Degradation of the Activating Receptor CD226 in CD8+ T Cells
Immunity, 2020
Why it matters CD226 degradation as an immunotherapy resistance mechanism, informing co-stimulatory target selection and combinations.
The NK cell granule protein NKG7 regulates cytotoxic granule exocytosis and inflammation
Nature Immunology, 2020
Why it matters Defines an effector pathway with direct relevance to cell therapy potency and target biology.
T cell repertoire remodeling following post-transplant T cell therapy coincides with clinical response
Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2019
Why it matters Supports TCR-seq-based monitoring and patient selection for adoptive T cell therapy.
Contact
Open to Scientist and Senior Scientist roles in cell therapy and computational immunology across the EU and Australia, and to collaborations and translational research opportunities.