Eliminating gender-based disease disparities starts in the lab

Although men have life expectancy decreases than women high risk Developing serious health conditions like heart disease and lung cancer costs women: more than 25% of your life They are in poorer health than men. Part of the reason is because women's experiences are disproportionate. Stroke-related disordersovarian and breast cancer, dementiaand autoimmune disease This includes multiple sclerosis (MS), for which there was no cure for a long time.

At the same time, research and anecdotes show that women often feel underserved and undervalued in terms of the health care they receive. For example, a study conducted last year by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that: 29% of women Meanwhile, 21% of men said they felt dismissed by their healthcare provider, and nearly twice as many women as men said they felt discriminated against by their doctors.

These experiences can have serious consequences beyond just a few hospital visits. data show Women, especially women of color, have been shown to be more likely to be misdiagnosed or to be diagnosed later than men. Pervasive bias in the medical field plays a major role.

Gender disparities in the diagnosis and management of chronic diseases are a delicate issue intertwined with socio-economic structures. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, especially considering the unique needs of transgender or non-binary individuals. But an important step forward could be for more female clinicians to prioritize research into the challenges faced by female patients, as well as for diseases that disproportionately impact those assigned female at birth. Recruiting and training female scientists.

Not only are they more likely to empathize with the experiences of female patients, but research has shown that: diverse team Help ensure that the benefits of research and care innovations are equitably shared. Without more women scientists and leaders, we will not be able to fully address the health issues that most severely impact women.

Women's participation and leadership in MS research

Let's take MS, which is our main area of ​​research, as an example.women are 3 times more likely More men than men are diagnosed with MS, and there are twice as many women as men with MS. Almost 4:1 ratio — This gap has only widened in recent decades. These disparities are not just limited to gender. January 2024 Survey Black and Hispanic women with MS were found to have more advanced disease progression and to face greater challenges during pregnancy than white women.

Nevertheless, we find that there are gender differences between those who study this disease and others who study this disease. for example, 2022 survey found that neurology is one of the most underrepresented specialties with female physicians as first authors on research papers. This is especially true for her MS research.

Why is this important? In our own research, we frequently realize how impactful our research can be when investigating the most pressing issues for our female patients. Masu. For example, cerebellar dysfunction in people with MS can progress independently of other symptoms, and many women suffer from gait and balance problems that reduce their ability to exercise and participate socially. He reports that he feels it. With this in mind, one of the focuses of our research is to reduce cerebellar damage to improve quality of life and health-promoting behaviors. Female patients also feel confident that they have a team of researchers who are serious about their challenges.

Women-led research requires strong female voices in patient care and in the laboratory.Unfortunately, the medical industry Overall, there are many women (74%), with only 33% in leadership positions. Enabling women to participate in deciding what kind of research to pursue is the most fundamental step we can take to ensure the quality of health care for women. In doing so, the industry will see a ripple effect as female medical leaders tackle some of the world's toughest medical problems.

turn words into actions

But simply pledging to hire more women scientists or appoint more women to leadership roles is not enough. Decision-makers at all levels of healthcare organizations must take concrete actions to formalize this commitment through targeted programs such as scholarships and mentorship opportunities. These provide women with early opportunities to pursue their scientific interests with the guidance of female mentors who know what it's like to advance a career in the unique environments of research and healthcare.

For example, my (Harris) PhD supervisor left for maternity leave shortly after I started working with her. This was one of the most meaningful parts of my doctoral experience, as it was when I first got a model of what it would be like to have a family and have a successful career in science. became. To this day, she is the only female supervisor I have met in the research department. And she inspired me to take very seriously her responsibility to mentor the young women coming into my lab.

Mentors aside, the ultimate key to ensuring the long-term success of women in health research lies in proactively eliminating systemic barriers. These measures include fair pay compared to male colleagues and enhanced benefits, including parental leave and support. While women healthcare leaders may feel the positive impact of these resources immediately, they ultimately deliver long-term benefits to all employees.

Several factors contribute to the gender gap in chronic diseases, but by investing in women scientists, the industry can take a meaningful first step toward closing the gender gap. Without them, labs lack critical perspectives that will one day inform research that will find treatments for complex conditions like MS.

Dr. Violaine Harris, He is a senior research fellow at the Tisch MS Research Center in New York. She joined the Tisch MSRCNY laboratory in 2004 and has been developing stem cell therapy strategies to promote repair and regeneration in multiple sclerosis. Dr. Jamie Wong, Tisch is a senior research fellow at MSRCNY. She joined her Center in 2015 and leveraged her surgical expertise to develop new animal models of primary progressive MS (PPMS).