Education
University of Oklahoma, Ph.D. 1988

Biography
Dr. Fidel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania in 1984. He then received his Master of Science and PhD degrees in Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Dr. Fidel conducted postdoctoral training in the lab of Dov Boros in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He accepted a position of Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1990. Dr. Fidel came to LSUHSC in 1995 as an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology. He was promoted to professor in 1999 and named the Carl Baldridge Research Professor and Director of the Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology, Associate Dean for Research in 2001. He was named interim chair of the new Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biology in 2007 and permanent chair of the department in 2009.

As the Associate Dean of Research and Director of the Center of Excellence, Dr. Fidel also oversees all research conducted at the dental school. He serves as Principal Investigator of a $10.7 million Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant from the NIH (National Center for Research Resources-NCRR) for the dental school to develop promising junior faculty into independent researchers. He also serves as Principal Investigator of the $3.35 million grant from the LA Board of Regents to establish a South Louisiana Institute of Infectious Disease Research.

Research Interests
The Fidel laboratories are currently funded under several sources from the NIH, including the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Studies in the Fidel laboratory focus on host defense against mucosal infections caused by the fungus, Candida albicans. Research in vaginal candidiasis  is in both humans and animal models. The research has recently revealed a paradigm shift away from adaptive immune deficiencies as a cause of infection to innate immune mechanisms playing a role in both susceptibility and resistance to infection. Research in oral candidiasis  is focused in HIV-infected individuals. This research is focused on the protective role of CD8 T cells. In addition oral and vaginal epithelial cell antifungal immune mechanisms are being studied. Finally, the role of vaginal and oral Candida biofilms in the pathogenesis of vaginitis and denture stomatitis is being studied through a collaboration with the Noverr laboratory

Research Interests--Keywords
Immunology, cellular and mucosal
Candidiasis, immunoregulation of recurrent vaginal or oral

Selected Publications
Fidel, Jr. PL, Barousse MM, Espinosa T, Ficarra M, Sturtevant J, Martin DH, Quayle AJ and Dunlap K, (2004) A live intravaginal Candida challenge in humans reveals new hypothesis for the immunopathogenesis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, Infect Immun. 72:2939-2946.

Yano, J., E.A. Lilly, C. Steele, D. Fortenberry, and P.L. Fidel, Jr., (2005) Oral and vaginal Epithelial cell anti-Candida activity is acid-labile and does not require live epithelial cells. Oral. Microbiol. Immunol. 20:199-205.

Leigh, J.E., K.M McNulty, and P.L. Fidel, Jr. (2006) Characterization of the immune status of CD8+ T cells in oral lesions of HIV-infected persons with oropharyngeal candidiasis. Clin. Vacc. Immunol. 13:678-683.

Mercante, D.E., J.E. Leigh, E.A. Lilly, and P.L. Fidel, Jr. (2006) Assessment of the association between HIV viral load and CD4 cell count on the occurrence of oropharyngeal candidiasis in HIV⁺ patients.  JAIDS 42:578-583.

Fidel, P.L., Jr. and R. G. Pousson. (2007) Hurricane Katrina and the LSU Dental School(s): A remarkable encounter of survival. J.Dent.Res. 86:198-201