Erika Friehling, MD

Administrative Assistant: Carla Clarke

Dr. Friehling received her Bachelor of Science degree from New York University, graduating cum laude with a major in neural science in 2001. She received her Medical Degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2006 having earned accolades including Alpha Omega Alpha, Gold Humanism Honor Society, and the Robert M. Blizzard Pediatric Scholar Award.  Dr. Friehling then completed her Pediatric Residency training at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2006 through 2009 and served as Pediatric Chief Resident from 2009 to 2010.  She pursued subspecialty training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, completing her fellowship in 2013. She completed a Certificate in Medical Education from the Institute for Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh in 2016 and is currently working towards a Master of Science in Medical Education at the same institution. In 2015, Dr. Friehling was selected for the American Pediatric Association Educational Scholars Program and after completing the program received her Certificate of Excellence in Educational Scholarship in 2018. Dr. Friehling joined the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (PHO) as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2013.

Dr. Friehling has demonstrated a consistent focus on medical education throughout her career. She leads the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship program and is also a dedicated leader in pediatric resident education. She is a leader in the areas of faculty development, mentoring, and career advancement. She has led numerous workshops for faculty and trainees focused on these topics.  In her role as Associate Vice-Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Friehling leads the faculty mentoring program. This important program involves the establishment of mentoring committees for all junior faculty.  Dr. Friehling’s expertise in this area is recognized throughout the UPSOM: she has been invited to speak on mentoring at the Academy of Master Educators, the Division of Urogynecology, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Friehling has specific clinical interest and expertise in pediatric leukemia/lymphoma and fertility preservation. Dr. Friehling founded and continues to direct the Leukemia/Lymphoma Working Group at UPMC Children’s Hospital, leading initiatives to increase consistency in care and promote evidence-based treatment of patients. In 2016, Dr. Friehling collaborated with local and national experts in fertility preservation to develop a formal multi-disciplinary Pediatric Oncofertility Consult Service. Dr. Friehling is active in collaborative oncology research and is currently the institutional Primary Investigator for six national lymphoma clinical trials through Children’s Oncology Group. She has published original research, case reports, and review articles about pediatric oncology and co-authored book chapters in the premier pediatric textbook, “Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics”.

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 2006-Present
• American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO), 2010-Present
• American Society of Hematology (ASH), 2010-Present
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2010-Present
• Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD), 2013-Present
• Academic Pediatric Association (APA), 2013-Present