Research Interests

Dr. Fiester's research interests primarily focus on the elucidation of factors contributing to the virulence of multidrug-resistant ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species) pathogens with special attention given to Acinetobacter baumannii. A. baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen often associated with nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients; however, cases in immune-competent individuals have also been reported. A. baumannii has been shown to cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, meningitis, necrotizing fasciitis, wound infections and endocarditis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have categorized Acinetobacter as a serious threat requiring more monitoring and prevention activities due to the occurrence of multidrug-resistant isolates. According to the CDC, Acinetobacter causes 12,000 infections per year with 7,300 of those infections caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter and 500 of those cases resulting in mortality in the United States alone. Unfortunately, the majority of research pertaining to A. baumannii has focused on antibiotic resistance properties while failing to explain the basic pathobiology or underlying virulence mechanisms of this bacterium. This sparsity of data has made drug discovery somewhat difficult due to the lack of candidate therapeutic targets. Dr. Fiester's research therefore aims to better explain the pathobiology of A. baumannii thus uncovering targets for therapeutics. Dr. Fiester is particularly interested in the mechanisms by which A. baumannii is cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells, acquires iron under chelated conditions such as that found in the human host, translocates virulence-associated proteins to the outer membrane, secretes virulence factors and responds to environmental stressors. Dr. Fiester's research has even contradicted the traditional characterization of A. baumannii as non-hemolytic. In fact, the hemolytic phenotype of A. baumannii is paramount to A. baumannii virulence.

Representative Publications

• RC Ellis, EK Roberts, JT Grier and SE Fiester (2022). Acinetobacter baumannii infections resistant to treatment: warning signs from the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Microbiology, 17(17) 1345-1347.;
• MH Hyche, P Kent, CMG Schammel, M Devane, SE Fiester, M Call and J Knight (2022). Closing the brief case: Tropheryma whipplei infection resulting in neurological symptoms. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 60(8) 1-2.;
• MH Hyche, P Kent, CMG Schammel, M Devane, SE Fiester, M Call and J Knight (2022). The brief case: Tropheryma whipplei infection resulting in neurological symptoms. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 60(8) 1-5.;
• MA Knapp, TA Johnson, MK Ritter, RO Rainer, SE Fiester, JT Grier, TD Connell and S Arce (2021). Immunomodulatory regulation by heat-labile enterotoxins and potential therapeutic applications. Expert Review of Vaccines, 20(8) 975-987.;
• ZC Overton-Hennessy, AM Devane, SE Fiester, N Schammel, CMG Schammel and JW Fulcher (2021). Ruptured splenic artery pseudoaneurysm causing hemorrhage into a pancreatic pseudocyst. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 43(1) 76-80.;
• CW Evins, C Sutton, ST Withers, JT Grier, CMG Schammel, and SE Fiester (2021). Community-acquired extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing and extensively drug resistant Escherichia coli in a 28-year-old pyelonephritis patient lacking risk factors. Antibiotics, 10(5) 533.;
• JT Grier, BA Arivett, MS Ramı́rez, RJ Chosed, JA Bigner, EJ Ohneck, ML Metz, CR Wood, S Arce, A Tartaro, RF Relich, LA Actis and SE Fiester (2021). Two Acinetobacter baumannii isolates obtained from a fatal necrotizing fasciitis infection display distinct genomic and phenotypic characteristics in comparison to type strains. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 11(2021) 249.;
• GW Birsic, BE Hentschel, ZC Overton-Hennessy, ME Ward, SE Fiester and JW Fulcher (2021). Fatal coronary artery vasculitis with mixed features. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 42(3) 307-310.;
• JA Bigner, SE Fiester, JW Fulcher, CMG Schammel, ME Ward, HE Burney, JF Wheeler, SK Wheeler and JM Teuber (2021). Glyphosate and polyoxyethyleneamine ingestion leading to renal, hepatic and pulmonary failure. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 42(3) 282-285.;
• BA Arivett, A Charnot-Katsikas, C Bethel, SE Fiester and LA Actis (2020). Draft genome sequences of two Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 9(13).;
• AB Kennedy and SE Fiester (2020). Reduced performance on examinations following untimed short assessments, Studies in Educational Evaluation, 65(2020) 100835.;
• DC Lee, SE Fiester, LA Madeline, JW Fulcher, ME Ward, CMG Schammel and RK Hakimi (2019). Acanthamoeba spp. and Balamuthia mandrillaris leading to fatal granulomatous amebic encephalitis, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 1-6.;
• JW Basinger, SE Fiester and JW Fulcher (2019). Mortality from neonatal herpes simplex viremia causing severe hepatitis, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 1-4.;
• GW Birsic, JW Fulcher and SE Fiester (2019). Embolization of endocardial vegetation with stroke presentation, The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 40(1) 72-76. ;
• K. Abernathy, S Fiester and JW Fulcher (2019). Miliary pattern MRSA sepsis following clandestine intravenous infusion, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 15(2) 267-271.;
• SE Fiester, BA Arivett, AC Beckett, BR Wagner, EJ Ohneck, R Schmidt, JT Grier and LA Actis (2019). Miltefosine reduces the cytolytic activity and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 63(1) e01409-18.;
• J Basinger, SE Fiester and JW Fulcher (2018). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus parotitis leading to mortality in an adolescent male, The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 39(3) 257-260.;
• EJ Ohneck, BA Arivett, SE Fiester, CR Wood, ML Metz, GM Simeone and LA Actis (2018). Mucin acts as a nutrient source and a signal for the differential expression of genes coding for cellular processes and virulence factors in Acinetobacter baumannii, PLoS ONE, 13(1) e0190599.;
• S Rumbo-Feal, A Pérez, TA Ramelot, BA Arivett, A Beceiro, JA Vallejo, L Álvarez-Fraga, M Merino, EJ Ohneck, SE Fiester, MA Kennedy, LA Actis, G Bou and M Poza (2017). Contribution of A. baumannii A1S_0114 gene to the interaction with eukaryotic cells and virulence, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 7(108).;
• SE Fiester, BA Arivett, RE Schmidt, AC Beckett, T Ticak, MV Carrier, R Ghosh, EJ Ohneck, ML Metz, MK Sellin-Jeffries and LA Actis (2016). Iron-regulated phospholipase C activity contributes to the cytolytic activity and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii, PLoS ONE, 11(11) e0167068.;
• BA Arivett, DC Ream, SE Fiester, D Kidane, and LA Actis (2016). Draft genome sequences of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from wounded military personnel, Genome Announcements, 4(4) e00773-16.;
• BA Arivett, DC Ream, SE Fiester, D Kidane and LA Actis (2016). Draft genome sequences of Escherichia coli isolates from wounded military personnel, Genome Announcements, 4(4) e00828-16.;
• BA Arivett, DC Ream, SE Fiester, D Kidane and LA Actis (2016). Draft genome sequences of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from wounded military personnel, Genome Announcements, 4(4) e00829-16.;
• BA Arivett, SE Fiester, EJ Ohneck, WF Penwell, C Kaufman, RF Relich and LA Actis (2015). Antimicrobial activity of gallium protoporphyrin IX against Acinetobacter baumannii strains displaying different antibiotic resistance phenotypes, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 59(12) 7657-7665.;
• CM Harding, MA Nasr, RL Kinsella, NE Scott, LJ Foster, BS Weber, SE Fiester, LA Actis, EN Tracy, RS Munson Jr. and MF Feldman (2015). Acinetobacter strains carry two functional oligosaccharyltransferases, one dedicated exclusively to type IV pilin, and the other one dedicated to O-glycosylation of multiple proteins, Molecular Microbiology, 96(5) 1023-1041.;
• BA Arivett, SE Fiester, DC Ream, D. Centron, M. Soledad Ramirez, M. Tolmasky and LA Actis (2015). Draft genome of the multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii A155 clinical isolate, Genome Announcements, 3(2) e00212-15.;
• SE Fiester, CC Nwugo, WF Penwell, JM Neary, AC Beckett, BA Arivett, SC Geiger, RE Schmidt, PL Connerly, SM Menke, AP Tomaras and LA Actis (2015). Role of the carboxyl terminus of SecA in iron acquisition, protein translocation and virulence of the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, Infection and Immunity, 83(4) 1354-1365.;
• BA Arivett, DC Ream, SE Fiester, K Mende, CK Murray, MG Thompson, S Kanduru, AM Summers, AL Roth, DV Zurawski and LA Actis (2015). Draft genomes of the Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883T clinical type strain and three multidrug resistant clinical isolates, Genome Announcements, 3(1) e01385-14.;
• T Ticak, D Hariraju, M Bayron Arcelay, B Arivett, S Fiester and DJ Ferguson (2014). Isolation and characterization of a tetramethylammonium degrading Methanococcoides strain and a novel glycine betaine utilizing Methanolobus strain, Archives of Microbiology, 197(2) 197-209.;
• SE Fiester, SF Evangelista, BA Arivett, DJ Adams, RE Redfern and CJ Woolverton (2014). The role of the liquid crystalline state in the bundling of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium flagella, Liquid Crystals, 41(9) 1277-1285.;
• SE Fiester and LA Actis (2013). Stress responses in the human opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, Future Microbiology, 8(3) 353-365.;
• SE Fiester, SL Helfinstine, TT Meilander and CJ Woolverton (2012). Administering needs-assessed bioterrorism curricula to public health professionals using active-learning strategies, Applied Biosafety: Journal of the American Biological Safety Association, 17(4) 181-187.;
• S Fiester, S Helfinstine, J Redfearn, R Uribe and C Woolverton (2012). Electron beam irradiation dose dependently damages the Bacillus spore coat and spore membrane, International Journal of Microbiology, 2012(2012) 579593.;
• S Fiester, A Jákli and C Woolverton (2011). Liquid crystal properties of a self-assembling viral coat protein. Liquid Crystals, 38(9) 1153-1157.;
• S Fiester, J Redfearn, S Helfinstine, T Meilander and CJ Woolverton (2010). Lab safety and bioterrorism readiness curricula using active learning and hands-on strategies as continuing education for medical technologists, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 11(1) 14-20.

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