Dr. Candela was born and raised in Erie, PA and graduated from the Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College with B.S degrees in Science and Psychology and Honors in Biomedical Engineering. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the Artificial Heart and Fluid Dynamics Lab where he investigated conformational changes of von Willebrand Factor in the setting of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). He then matriculated at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA where he earned his MD, MBA, and MEd degrees. During his medical education, Dr. Candela traveled to Ghana, Africa and completed clinical research and quality improvement projects focusing on breast cancer survival rates and surgical burden of disease. Outside of academia, he enjoys jogging/biking around Pittsburgh, exploring new restaurants and breweries, watching Penn State and Cleveland Browns football, and spending time with his two French Bulldogs.
Dr. Candela has published and presented scientific manuscripts and abstracts on various topics in general and plastic surgery, including hand surgery, wound healing, limb salvage, global surgery, and breast cancer.