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  • Item type:Publication,
    Trends in Women Authoring Editorials in Cardiothoracic Surgery Journals. Open PDF 
    (2026-05-01)
    Lee, Emily Hyunmin
    ;
    Gomes, Zoya
    ;
    Kim, Jinny Minji
    ;
    Liblik, Kiera
    ;
    Travis, Nicole
    INTRODUCTION: Women have historically been underrepresented in leadership positions and academia in cardiothoracic surgery, creating barriers to career advancement and limiting role models for trainees. While publications are used to measure success in academia, invited articles such as editorials often represent a formal recognition of expertise. The objective of this study was to identify trends in the gender of editorial authors published in cardiothoracic surgery journals. METHODS: Editorials published between 2018 and 2022 across 16 peer-reviewed cardiothoracic surgery journals were analyzed. Author gender was estimated using a validated tool (https://gender-api.com/) with additional verification using available institutional profiles. RESULTS: In total, 806 editorials were published with a total of 1,858 authors (293 women, 16%). Women authors were predominantly from the United States of America (45%) followed by India (9%) and Germany (8%). The percentage of women first authors increased between 2018 and 2022 (P < 0.001); 9% in 2018, 9% in 2019, 17% in 2020, 16% in 2021, and 23% in 2022. A similar trend was observed for women senior authorship (P < 0.0001) (6% in 2018, 9% in 2019, 14% in 2020, 15% in 2021, and 18% in 2022) as well as for editorials with all-women authorship (P < 0.0001), increasing steadily from 9% in 2018 to 20% in 2022. CONCLUSION: Women authorship in editorials published in cardiothoracic surgery journals has steadily increased in recent years. Despite progress, women still make up less than a quarter of first and senior authors, highlighting a critical gap in gender equity in academic leadership that must be urgently addressed.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Gender inequity in leadership positions in spinal societies worldwide Open PDF 
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026-05-14)
    Rawall, Saurabh
    ;
    Taylor, Sean
    ;
    Peterson, Asa
    ;
    Shrother, Ellyn
    ;
    Rajaram, Sakthivel
    PURPOSE: Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery rank as the worst with regards to the percentage of female residents. This trend carries on in spinal subspeciality training. The gap in gender equity increases significantly in academic leadership positions, including department chairs and full-time faculty, as well as speakers and faculty at conferences. The purpose of our study was to analyze the percentage of female representation in the leadership of spinal societies globally. METHODS: We evaluated the current leadership teams of national and international spine societies and recorded the percentage of females. RESULTS: We studied gender data of 73 spinal societies worldwide. 36 out of these had no female representation. Overall, 148 out of 1977 (7.5%) leadership positions were occupied by females. European Spine societies had the best gender ratio (16.9%), followed by North America (7.2%). Asia Pacific region had the worst gender ratio (1.2%). Middle East/Africa region and South America performed marginally better with 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Diversity improves innovation and quality of patient care. Female spinal surgeon leaders serve as role models and mentors. More needs to be done by our spinal societies to address gender disparity. Our article will provide data on an important aspect of gender disparity in spine surgery so that corrective measures can be initiated. There is an enormous gender disparity in leadership positions in spine societies worldwide. This phenomenon was observed across all regions, with Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific regions recording the largest gender discrepancy.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Sex differences in altmetric attention scores and traditional impact metrics of top‐cited general surgery literature: Cracks in the ceiling? Open PDF 
    (Wiley, 2024-06-18)
    Waqar, Usama
    ;
    Martins, Russell Seth
    ;
    Siddiqui, Ayra
    ;
    Waheed, Ayesha Akbar
    ;
    Ahmed, Abdullah
    Background Sex disparities have previously been identified in surgical academia. This study examines sex differences in the top‐cited contemporary general surgery articles and compares Altimetric Attention Score (AAS) and other impact metrics between male and female corresponding authors (CAs). Methods We conducted a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles published between 2019 and 2021 in each of the top 10 general surgery journals based on the 2021 Journal Impact Factor. Impact metrics included AAS, citation count, and H‐index of the CA. We used multivariable regression analyses to investigate whether the sex of the CA or first author (FA) was independently associated with AAS and citation count. Results Among 1000 articles, 23.1% had female CAs and 27.4% female FAs. Female CA articles had higher AAS (13.0 [2.0–63.0] vs. 8.0 [1.0–28.5]; p < 0.001) and lower H‐indices (24.0 [11.0–45.0] vs. 31.0 [17.0–50.0]; p = 0.015). Although median citation count did not differ by CA sex, articles with Level 1 evidence and a female CA were cited more often (35.5 [24.0–85.0] vs. 25.0 [16.0 vs. 46.0]; p < 0.05). In multivariable regression, female CA articles had higher AAS (OR: 1.002 [95% CI: 1.001–1.004]) and lower H‐index (OR: 0.987 [95% CI: 0.977–0.997]). Conclusion Despite having similar citation counts, articles authored by female CAs exhibit higher AAS scores compared to those authored by their male counterparts. While it is heartening that research authored by female surgeons achieves significant visibility, it remains to be understood how this translates into academic impact and scholarly recognition.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Engaging and Empowering Future Female Surgeons: Development of the Medical Student Section of the Society of Women in Urology Open PDF 
    (Elsevier BV, 2025-10)
    Booher, Allison G.
    ;
    Vereecken, Sasha J.
    ;
    Kim, Erin
    ;
    Penmatcha, Neharika
    ;
    Aponte, Alexandra
    OBJECTIVE: To describe a replicable model for a large-scale, cross-institutional, and student-driven initiative to promote gender equity within surgical fields. METHODS: To address the lack of a national infrastructure to support female medical students pursuing careers in Urology, a historically male-dominated specialty, the society of women in urology (SWIU) established its medical student section, called SWIUdents, as a student-led initiative to offer mentorship, education, and networking resources for future female urologists. In 2022, SWIUdents convened its first medical student leadership board, comprised of two co-chairs and four subcommittees focused on membership, program implementation, mentorship, and community relations. SWIUdents membership was open to medical students of all gender identities, and recruitment for the organization took place via official SWIU communications, social media, and word of mouth. RESULTS: As of April 2025, there are 319 SWIUdents members, 195 of which are current medical students, representing all regional sections of the American Urological Association (AUA), as well as international medical students. In the 2024 to 2025 academic year, SWIUdents paired 87 medical students with resident or faculty members in Urology. SWIUdents also maintains an active social media presence and offers a broad array of programming, with robust attendance at monthly webinars and journal clubs. CONCLUSIONS: This paper outlines the development and infrastructure of SWIUdents, a national, student-driven model which may be replicated by other specialty organizations aiming to engage and empower women and other groups underrepresented within their respective field.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Spinal neurosurgery: Trends in female authorship contribution over 5-Year publication history Open PDF 
    (Elsevier BV, 2025-10)
    Campanaro, Giovanni
    ;
    Centini, Francesca Romana
    ;
    Sicca, Cecilia
    ;
    Davico, Jazmin
    ;
    Musella, Emanuele
    In the last few years, more efforts have been made to increase gender equity in medical specialties. Nevertheless, spinal neurosurgery continues to be one of the most male-dominated subspecialties in neurosurgery. This bibliometric analysis sought to explore the representation of female authors in major neurosurgical publications between September 2017 and August 2022, with a focus on first and last authorship roles across journals and countries. The paper analyzed 3171 unique publications within a framework of 93 high-impact neurosurgery-related journals. Results showed that female authors were 14,25 % of first authors and 7,88 % of last authors, and that only 2,11 % of articles had both female first and last authors. Country of affiliation and the journal of publication significantly influenced the author's gender representations, with Scandinavian states and certain journals, like Neurocritical Care, showing relatively high percentages of female authorship. Even if there has been minor progress over the recent past, disparities nowadays persist, potentially limiting diversity in perspectives and advancements in this field. These disparities underline the presence and the influence of systemic and cultural factors impeding gender equity, and underscoring the critical need for proactive measures to foster it, including mentorship programs, institutional support, and policies for balanced opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified inequities in this field, disproportionately impacting female academics due to increased domestic responsibilities without the corresponding implementation of support systems. The significant role of mentorship in improving female representation was also highlighted by this analysis: our data indicated higher collaboration rates between female first and last authors in the field of spinal neurosurgery. To address these challenges, efforts must be made starting during residency, with the aim of targeting systemic barriers and cultural biases. The implementation of inclusive policies, like on-site childcare programs, and fostering international collaboration, might help to reduce these disparities and to ensure that diversity drives innovation in spinal neurosurgery. Such an approach is essential for addressing inequity, which is not merely a matter of fairness but is central to advancing the field. This would ensure that only talent and hard work are what determine success in spinal neurosurgery, which is imperative for the progress of the speciality, enabling diverse perspectives to shape the future of patient care, research, and academic leadership.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Female authorship in global research: a bibliometric study of high- and low-income country collaborations Open PDF 
    (Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG), 2025-03-01)
    Totis, Francesca
    ;
    Colella, Filippo Emanuele
    ;
    Safa, Adrian
    ;
    Stefini, Roberto
    ;
    Cannizzaro, Delia
    OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine female authorship in research from collaborations between high-income countries (HICs) and lower-middle-income and low-income countries (LMICs/LICs) across two time periods: 2018–2020 and 2021–2023. METHODS A bibliometric analysis of neurosurgical research articles from the Scopus database, published between 2018 and 2023, was performed to investigate collaboration trends between HICs and LMICs/LICs. Only neurosurgical publications were included, and female authors were identified based on names traditionally associated with female gender identity, verified through online searches and tools such as Genderize.io. Articles with more than 25 authors, commentaries, letters, and news items were excluded to ensure a focus on original research. The selected articles spanned various neurosurgical specialties and were restricted to English-language journals with an impact factor greater than 1. The country affiliations of first, corresponding, and last authors were categorized using the 2018 World Bank classification to understand collaboration patterns across income levels. RESULTS The analysis revealed a steady increase in neurosurgical publications from 2018 to 2023, with a notable rise in the second triennium (2021–2023). Authors from HICs consistently held the majority of first, corresponding, and last authorship positions. Concerning first authorship, authors with affiliations from HICs increased from 66% in the first triennium to 75% in the second. Similarly, corresponding authors from HICs increased from 75% to 82% over the same period. Male authors dominated all key authorship roles, with 127 male-led first authorships compared with 46 female-led first authorships in the second triennium. This male predominance persisted in corresponding and last author roles as well. CONCLUSIONS Global neurosurgical research is growing but significant gender disparities persist, especially in LMICs/LICs, with female researchers underrepresented in key authorship roles, requiring targeted efforts to address systemic barriers and promote gender equity in academic leadership.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Gender disparities among speakers at major spine conferences Open PDF 
    (Elsevier BV, 2025-10)
    Lee, Yunsoo
    ;
    Issa, Tariq Z.
    ;
    Lambrechts, Mark J.
    ;
    Carey, Preston
    ;
    Becsey, Alexander
    PURPOSE: To examine 10-year trends in gender representation in speaking roles at major spine conferences. BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Medical conferences play an important role in career opportunities. There is little analysis on gender representation of major spine conferences despite several studies demonstrating gender disparities within spine surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. SAMPLE: A total of 20,181 abstract speakers across 10 years of academic conferences for 6 spine societies. OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent of female abstract presenters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collated the annual meeting programs of six major spine conferences (North American Spine Society (NASS), Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST), Global Spine Congress (GSC), American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) Spine Summit, and the Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS)) dating from 2013 to 2022. Departmental websites, society webpages, or personal social media were identified for images or the use of gendered pronouns in order to determine speaker gender for each speaker type. All categorical variables were compared using Pearson chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Women constituted 1,816 (9.0%) of all 20,181 identified conference speakers. Female representation was highest at NASS (N=680, 12.2%) but lowest at CSRS (6.6%) and GSC (7.1%). Spine Summit (7.4%), IMAST (9.92%), and GSC (9.87%) demonstrated the largest annual percent increases in female representation. Institutions in Middle East and Africa (1.4%), and Central and South America (1.8%) supported the lowest percent of female speakers. Women were significantly less likely to be speakers or moderators/course faculty than to be podium abstract presenters (p<.001). The percent of women as invited speakers (10.4% vs 5.5%, p=.001) and moderators (11.4% vs 3.7%, p<.001) increased significantly over the study period, with annual increases of 8.8% and 20.8%, respectively, from 2013 to 2022 (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: While academic spine societies have made significant progress in promoting gender representation, especially among invited speakers and session moderators, women continue to be underrepresented compared to the percent of women in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery
  • Item type:Publication,
    Publication Trends and Surgeon Perceptions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Gender Disparities in Craniofacial Surgery Open PDF 
    (SAGE Publications, 2024-08-28)
    MacIsaac, Molly F.
    ;
    Khan, Iman F.
    ;
    Tiongco, Rafael Felix P.
    ;
    Wright, Joshua M.
    ;
    Qamar, Fatima
    Objective In academic craniofacial surgery, gender disparities exist across various metrics including faculty positions, leadership roles, and conference representation. This study benchmarks the academic productivity of craniofacial surgeons in 2022 and surveys their perspectives regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Design Total, first author, and senior author PubMed publications in 2022 were recorded for 193 craniofacial attendings and fellows. Craniofacial surgeons were also surveyed regarding academic experience, leadership roles, and DEI perceptions. Setting Electronic Survey Participants26 craniofacial attendings Main outcome measures Total, first author, and senior author publication counts in 2022 Results Women comprised 27% (n = 53) of the craniofacial surgeon cohort. Men led total publications (81% vs 19%, p < 0.001), senior-author publications (84% vs 16%, p < 0.001), average total publications (6.6 vs 4.0, p = 0.043), and average senior-author publications (3.1 vs 1.5, p = 0.02). Sub-analysis of craniofacial fellows showed a higher proportion of women (65%) with no statistical difference in total or average publication counts. Survey responses (n = 26) included a perceived lack of female representation in academic and leadership roles. Barriers included inadequate support from current leadership, systemic issues, and biases. Recommendations for improvement included mentorship programs, targeted recruitment, and equitable conference speaker selection.ConclusionOngoing gender disparities are evident in craniofacial surgery, particularly in academic metrics. However, trends in younger cohorts exhibit more balanced gender representation, publication records, and leadership positions, indicating potential improvements. Further studies are needed to examine these cohorts more comprehensively and longitudinally. Sustained commitment, including mentorship programs and enhanced DEI efforts, is needed to continue this progress.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Breaking Barriers: Advancing Equity and Support for Women in Plastic Surgery Open PDF 
    (Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2025-10)
    Mehta, Meeti
    ;
    Chauhan, Ruvi
    ;
    Huston, Tara L.
    ;
    Myers, Paige L.
    ;
    La Cruz, Carolyn De
    Summary: Despite recent modest increases, women remain underrepresented in the plastic surgery workforce, particularly in leadership roles. This disparity highlights the need for systemic, cultural, and professional changes to foster equity and support for women in the field. This article outlined key barriers faced by women in plastic surgery and provided actionable recommendations for improvement. Systemic changes are essential for increasing representation and leadership opportunities. Transparent recruitment practices, accountability in diversity efforts, and leadership development initiatives can help ensure gender parity at all levels. Flexible work environments and family-friendly policies, such as parental leave and competency-based training, are vital for retaining female residents and faculty. Cultural shifts, including addressing unconscious gender bias and redefining leadership perceptions, are critical to combatting discrimination and promoting diverse leadership styles. Mandatory bias training and robust reporting mechanisms for harassment are recommended to create an inclusive workplace culture. Professional support through mentorship, sponsorship, and networking opportunities is vital for fostering career development. Structured mentorship programs, peer networks, and sponsorship initiatives can empower women surgeons and promote their advancement. Institutions should also prioritize work-life integration by offering adaptable career pathways, childcare resources, and wellness programs to address burnout and support mental health. By implementing these strategies, programs and institutions can create a more equitable and supportive environment for women in plastic surgery, ultimately advancing diversity and inclusivity within the specialty.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Closing the Gender Gap in Global Surgery: Trends at the Academic Surgical Congress Open PDF 
    (2021)
    Padmanaban, V.
    ;
    DaCosta, A.
    ;
    Tran, A.
    ;
    Kunac, A.
    ;
    Swaroop, M.
    Introduction: Female researchers are underrepresented in academic surgery. While they are increasingly producing original research, they lag male researchers in productivity. This disparity is not well understood within the nascent field of global surgery. The following study examines gender parity in global surgery research presented at the Academic Surgical Congress and within subsequent publications. Methods: Abstracts presented at the Academic Surgical Congress (ASC) between 2015 and 2019 in “Global Surgery” sessions were reviewed to obtain title, the first author (FA) and senior author (SA). The authors were classified by gender. The Scopus database was queried by two reviewers for abstracts with corresponding publications, citations, and journal impact factors. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square analysis and t-tests where appropriate. Results: Of a total of 6635 abstracts, 218 global surgery abstracts over a 5-year period were identified. Of these abstracts, 96 (44%) had female FAs, while 56 (26%) had female SAs. When comparing gender, female (44%) FAs and male (56%) FAs were equally represented. While SAs were significantly less likely to be female (26% versus 74%, P < 0.0001), female senior authorship increased significantly within the study period. Output with respect to publications, citations, and journal impact factors were equal by gender. Conclusions: This study presents 5 y of gender trends in global surgery scholarly work presented at the ASC. Despite an overall predominance of male senior authors, the paradigm is shifting with a recent trend to gender parity. Male and female authors have equal output and are equally impactful. Findings of gender equity in academic global surgery are encouraging, and further study of other disciplines are warranted. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.