2025 Minutes in March Rita Skertich Grant

Natalia Vasconcellos, MD, MSc Awarded For “Worldwide Disparities In Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Risk Factors, Gender, Ethical Groups, Clinical Outcomes, And Mortality: A Multicenter Study”

TBF’s first health equity grant – a milestone in our track record of innovative grant giving – originated with the vision of one woman who wanted to recognize her personal history and ‘pay it forward.’ TBF Ambassador Elizabeth Ratta’s goal was to honor her grandmother, Rita Skertich, who had an aneurysm in the 1970’s at a time when the condition was little understood and treatment options limited. The result: The TBF Rita Skertich Brain Aneurysm Health Equity grant. Elizabeth hoped to award her grant to a female researcher and one whose work was focused on Black, female, and Hispanic populations who have a higher propensity to experience aneurysms. Hopefully, the grant would also help to break the barriers that often exist for women in medical and research fields. In short, Elizabeth says, “We wanted to make an impact in an underserved area.”

The grant application, submitted by Natalia and the Mayo Clinic, underwent review by the TBF’s Scientific Advisory Board. The SAB was joined in their review by Mesha Martinez, MD, Neurointerventionalist and Assistant Professor at Texas Childrens and Chair of SNIS affinity group Black Neurointerventists and Allies (BNAA), who provided critical oversight. Ultimately, the review board determined that Natalia’s grant did all that Elizabeth had envisioned – and more. In addition to the actual project outline and qualifications, the team got a welcome sense of Natalia’s personality and approach to relationships. “It echoed the familial connections in my own family,” Elizabeth says. She’s enthusiastic also about the opportunity of the grant to contribute to Natalia’s career as well as to future directions in research. “Paying it forward” on several levels!