Pitt Pediatrics congratulates third year Pitt Med student Stephen Frederico, MS, for being awarded the Medical Scholars Research Fellowship (MSRF) from the Physician Scientist Support Foundation (PSSF). This highly prestigious and competitive award comes with a $50,000 grant to support Frederico’s research in designing a novel approach to treating Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), a highly aggressive brain tumor that predominantly affects children. The median survival for those diagnosed with DMG is less than one year. 
Pittwire previously wrote about Frederico following his awarding of a summer fellowship from the American Brain Tumor Association. This grant represents another significant step forward for Stephen in his lifelong passion for neuro-oncology research – a journey he began in 2017 following the loss of a dear friend to a brain tumor. This fellowship award provides support for a one-year full-time research collaboration between UPMC and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. During this time, Frederico will be jointly mentored by Jeremy N. Rich, MD, MHS, MBA, from the Department of Neurology, and Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Frederico’s project is “Targetting metabolic vulnerabilities in combination with Avapritinib in PDGFRA-Altered Diffuse Midline Glioma.” Early results from initial clinical studies have already presented exciting data, and all look forward to the progress of the project.
To be awarded this research fellowship from the PSSF, applicants complete an internal application process through which the dean of their respective medical school selects one medical student as their school’s nominee. Thereafter, nominees of their respective medical school must apply and be selected to interview with a PSSF panel of physician-scientists. This year, the PSSF received applications from 52 nominees and Frederico was one of five medical students awarded the fellowship.
Prior to beginning his third year of medical school, Frederico will be entering a research year, of which this fellowship will consist of. His residency and fellowship training will follow the conclusion of medical school. Frederico, an aspiring neurosurgeon and scientist, aims to train at an institution with both an outstanding neurosurgery presence as well as a robust research presence in pediatric brain tumors. He notes that it would be an honor to continue his training at UPMC/Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Pitt Pediatrics excitedly looks forward to the growth of Frederico’s research and clinical career in neuro-oncology. For updates and further stories about Pitt medical students, residents, and fellows, follow Pitt Pediatrics on Twitter.