Ms. Global Icon

Dr. Frederick considers herself privileged to work as a Pediatric Neurologist in Southern California, a dream that she first imagined possible at the age of 10 years old and was able to finally realize after years of dedication and specialized training. She graduated magnum cum laude from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She didn’t know it at the time, but participating in the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program was probably the single most important factor in setting the trajectory of her career toward academic medicine and science and supporting her in the achievement of that goal through financial support, mentoring, personal development, tiered peer support and access to research opportunities. It was through the Meyerhoff Program that she had the opportunity to spend a summer working in a research lab at the University of Lancaster and through which she was introduced to and found her love of neuroscience. She ultimately went on to earn a Ph.D. (in Neuroscience), a medical degree from Vanderbilt University and completed her residency and fellowship training at UC San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California, where she is now on the faculty, training and mentoring the next generation. Dr. Frederick is Board Certified in Psychiatry & Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology.

As one of 2% of physicians in this country that identifies as a Black woman, Dr. Frederick strongly feels that representation matters, and she uses her voice through pageantry to connect with others and serve as a visible role model. Through her platform, Dr. Frederick seeks to inspire diverse youth to get excited about science and medicine, increase access to opportunities in these fields and foster mentoring relationships to create pathways to success. Based upon her own experiences and the unique challenges often faced by under-represented minorities in her field, Dr. Frederick is personally very committed to advocating for and participating in initiatives to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines and medicine, educating youth about the opportunities and encouraging them to pursue their own path. She is an active faculty advocate and member of several mentoring programs dedicated to increasing the number of diverse individuals in the pipeline for careers in healthcare and supporting the longitudinal success of students and trainees of color. Also, through her DEI leadership roles, Dr. Frederick champions a culture of inclusion and belonging in the workplace. 

Since her start in pageantry in 2019, Dr. Frederick has held state, national and international titles, served as a judge for several systems, been featured in magazines, including covers for Art & Beauty and Discover Magazines, hosted red carpets, been featured in commercials, and participated in runway fashion shows in Las Vegas, New York, San Diego and Los Angeles. Dr. Frederick has been acknowledged with several professional and community awards including recent recognition as a San Diego Power Woman by Discover Magazines, several Pageant Planet Best in Pageantry Awards, the 2023 Global Beauty Award winner for Best in Science and the 2024 Global Beauty Award winner for Best in Healthcare, which came with a $5000 scholarship prize from Dr. Connie Mariano. Dr. Frederick is also a proud mother to her daughter, Nilaja, who is the reigning Teen Regency International and student at UC Los Angeles.

As a titleholder, clinician, educator, published researcher, public speaker, mentor, and advocate, Dr. Frederick works to continuously works to inspire others to “Dream Bigger” and “Be Inspired”. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering and being active in her community, traveling and performing samba with the SoCal Sambistas.