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Elizabeth Didier, PhD
Research Scientist and Professor
Department of Tropical Medicine
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
1440 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 988-6249
Fax: (504) 988-7313
esdnda@tulane.edu
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Personal Statement:
Microsporidia are emerging and re-emerging fungal parasites associated with opportunistic infections and disease in humans including persons with HIV, organ transplant recipients, malnourished children, and the elderly. Subclinical infections are common in otherwise healthy individuals, and infections are transmitted between humans and from animals. Our research utilizes murine and nonhuman primate models of microsporidiosis to study molecular epidemiology, immunology, pathophysiology, drug therapies, and diagnostic methods. We also collaborate with investigators to better understand the evolution of the microsporidia.
Over the past few years, our research began to transition to studies on the immunology of aging to develop a nonhuman primate model that can be applied to human aging. Markers of inflammation are being used to test predictions about healthy and less-healthy aging. This model is expected to become relevant for studies on resistance/susceptibility to infectious diseases and testing vaccine efficacy in the elderly.
Research Interests:
Immunology and pathogenesis of microsporidiosis; immunology of aging using a nonhuman primate model
Educational Background:
- Post-doctoral, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York
- PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- MS, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky
- BS, Denison University, Granville, Ohio
Professional Achievements and Memberships:
- Member of Microsporidiosis Working Group for the NIH-CDC-HIVMA/IDSA, "Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-infected Adults and the Companion Guideline for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Children"
- Editorial board member of Folia Parasitologica and PLoS One
- Member of the American Association of Immunologists
- Member of the American Society for Microbiology
Selected Publications:
Didier, E.S., J.J. Becnel, M.L. Kent, J. Sanders, and L.M. Weiss. 2013. Microsporidia. In: The Mycota VII, Systematics and Evolution (2nd ed., D.J. McLaughlin and J.W. Spatafora, series eds.). Springer, New York City (in press).
Grisdale, C.J., L.C. Bowers, E.S. Didier, and N.M. Fast. 2013. Transcriptome analysis of the parasite, Encephalitozoon cuniculi: an in-depth examination of pre-mRNA splicing in a reduced eukaryote. Genome Biology (in press).
Didier, E.S., C. Sugimoto, L.C. Bowers, I.A. Khan, and M.J. Kuroda. 2012. Immunological correlates of aging in captive rhesus macaques. Immun. Ageing 9:25; http://www.immunityageing.com/content/pdf/1742-4933-9-25.pdf. PMCID: PMC3541156.
Didier, P.J., K. Snowden, X. Alvarez, and E.S. Didier. 2012. Microsporidiosis (Chapter 69). In: Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat (4th ed.). C.E. Greene (ed.). W.B. Saunders, St. Louis, MO., 704-709.
Cuomo, C.A., C.A. Desjardins, M.A. Bakowski, J. Goldberg, A.T. Ma, S.Young, Q. Zeng, E.S. Didier, J.J. Becnel, and E.R. Troemel. 2012. Microsporidian genome analysis reveals evolutionary strategies for obligate intracellular growth. Genome Research. PMID: 22813931http://genome.cshlp.org/lookup/ doi/10.1101/gr.142802.112 (http://genome.cshlp.org/content/early/2012/07/18/gr.142802.112.long)
Ungvari, V. A. Csiszar, E. Phillip, C.M. Campbell, P.R. McQuary, T.T. Chow, M. Coelho, E.S. Didier, S. Gelino, M. Holmbeck, I.Kim, E. Levy, D. Sosnowska, W.E. Sonntag, S. N. Austad, I. Ridgway. 2012. Testing predictions of the oxidative stress hypothesis of aging using a novel invertebrate model of longevity: the giant clam (Tridacna derasa). J. Gerontol. PMID: 22904097; http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/11/gerona.gls159.full.pdf+html
Pahar, B., W.L. Gray, K. Phelps, E.S. Didier, E. deHaro, P.A. Marx, and V.C. Traina-Dorge. 2012. Increased cellular immune responses and CD4+ T cell proliferation correlate with reduced plasma viral load in SIV-challenged recombinant simian varicella-simian immunodeficiency virus (rSVV-SIV)-vaccinated nonhuman primates. Virol. J. 9:160, doi:10.1186/1743-422X-9-160 (http://www.virologyj.com/content/pdf/1743-422X-9-160.pdf).
Wang, J., N. Tricoche, L. Du, M. Hunter, B. Zhan, G. Goud, E.S. Didier, J. Liu, P.A. Marx, S. Jiang, and S. Lustigman. 2012. The adjuvanticity of an O. volvulus-derived rOv-ASP-1 protein in mice using sequential vaccinations and in non-human primates. PLoS One 7(5):e37019 PMCID: PMC3355165
Weiss, L.M. and E.S. Didier. 2011. Microsporidiosis: Not just in AIDS patients. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 24:490-495; PMID:21844802.
Liu, D., and E.S. Didier. 2011. Encephalitozoon (Chapter 92) In: Molecular Detection of Human Fungal Pathogens. (ed. Dongyou Liu). CRC Press, New York City, NY; pp 817-825.
Ungvari, Z., I. Ridgway, E. Philipp, C. Campbell, P.R. McQuary, T.T. Chow, M. Coelho, E.S. Didier, S. Gelino, M. Holmbeck, I.Kim, E. Levy, D. Sosnowska, W.E. Sonntag, S. N. Austad, A. Csiszar. 2011. Extreme longevity is associated with increased resistance to oxidative stress in Arctica islandica, the longest-living non-colonial animal. J. Gerontol. 66A: 741-750. PMID: 21486920; PMC3143345
Sokolova, O.I., A.V. Demyanov, L.C. Bowers, E.S. Didier, A.V. Yakovlev, S.O. Skarlato, and Y.Y. Sokolova. 2011. Emerging microsporidian infections in Russian HIV-infected patients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 49:2102-2108; PMID: 21450962.
Didier, E.S., L.C. Bowers, A. Martin, M.J. Kuroda, I.A. Khan, P.J. Didier. 2010. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates, and iron sequestration contribute to macrophage-mediated control of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (Phylum Microsporidia) infection in vitro and in vivo. Microbes Infect. 12:1244-1251 (doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2010.09.010) PMCID:PMC2998546.
Corradi, N., J.F. Pombert, L. Farinelli, E.S. Didier, and P.J. Keeling. 2010. Genome compaction by chromosome end deletion in the smallest known nuclear genome. Nature Communications 1:77 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1082; PMID: 20865802.
Kaminsky, R.G., M.E. Stovall, M.L. Mayer, A. Martin, L.C. Bowers, and E.S. Didier. 2007. Microsporidia intestinales en pacienetes viviendo con SIDA en Honduras. Revista Medica Hondureña 75:116-123 (no PMID)
Nkinin, S.W., T. Asonganyi, E.S. Didier, and E.S. Kaneshiro. 2007. Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection is prevalent in normal, healthy people in Cameroon. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45(9):2841-2846; PMID:17609328.
Didier, P.J., J.N. Phillips, D.J. Kuebler, M. Nasr, P.J. Brindley, M.E. Stovall, L.C. Bowers, and E.S. Didier. 2006. Antimicrosporidial activity of fumagillin, TNP-470, ovalicin, and ovalicin-derivatives in vitro and in vivo. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50:2146-2155; PMCID:PMC1479127.
Didier, E.S., and L.M. Weiss. 2006. Microsporidiosis. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 19:485-492. PMCID:PMC3109650.
Orenstein, J.M., P. Russo, E.S. Didier, L.C. Bowers, N. Bunin, and D.T. Teachey. 2005. Fatal pulmonary microsporidiosis due to Encephalitozoon cuniculi following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia. Ultrastruct. Pathol. 29:269-276.
Didier, E.S., L. Bowers, M.E. Stovall, D. Kuebler, D. Mittleider, P.J. Brindley, and P.J. Didier. 2005 Antimicrosporidial activity of (fluoro)quinolones in vitro and in vivo. Folia Parasitol. 52:1-9.
Didier, E.S. 2005. Microsporidiosis: An emerging and opportunistic infection in humans and animals. Acta Trop. 126:145-166; PMID: 15777637.
Didier, E.S., J.A. Maddry, P.J. Brindley, M.E. Stovall, and P.J. Didier. 2005. Therapeutic strategies for human microsporidia infections. Exp. Rev. Anti-Infect. Ther. 3:419-434; PMID: 1595485.
Green, L.C., P.J. Didier, and E.S. Didier. 2004. Natural and experimental infection of immunocompromised rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with the microsporidian, Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotype D. Microbes Infect. 6:996-1002.
Teachey, D.T., P. Russo, J.M. Orenstein, E.S. Didier, L.C. Bowers, and N. Bunin. 2004. Pulmonary infection with microsporidia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 33:1-4.
Level of Instruction:
graduate
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