1
|
Khaliq A, Wesson W, Logan E, Tabak C, Mushtaq MU, Lin T, Baranda J, Shune L, Abdallah AO, McGuirk J, Hamadani M, Ahmed N. The Glass Wall: Gendered Authorship Disparities in CD 19 and BCMA CAR-T Clinical Trials for Lymphoma and Myeloma. CLINICAL LYMPHOMA, MYELOMA & LEUKEMIA 2024; 24:e344-e349. [PMID: 38910060 DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2024.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Existing literature suggests that women are significantly underrepresented in the field of hematology-oncology. Women make up 35.6% of hematologists and data on females as site investigators for pivotal trials and authors in publications of pivotal trials in hematologic malignancies, specifically in the novel niche of Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T), is sparse. METHODS We examined the proportion of women in pivotal trials, screening a total of 2180 studies from PubMed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. 2180 initially searched records were filtered by date (2017-2023) and clinical trial status, yielding 149 records. Following a manual review, we included 15 studies that led to the approval of or anticipated approval of CD19 and BCMA CAR-T therapies in lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies. We examined overall number of female authors, number of lead female authors, and ratio of all authors to female authors in the 15 trials, which were all high impact, cited on average 1314 times. RESULTS Of the 436 authors assessed, 132 were female, correlating to 29.5% female authorship. The only study with female authorship >50% was ELIANA, a 2017 pediatric study. 7 of the 15 studies had female lead authors; notably, 6 out of 7 of these studies were published in 2021 or later. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our data suggests gender iniquities for female investigators exist in the field of immune effector cell therapy. We suggest further investigation and strategies to decrease gendered authorship disparities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aroog Khaliq
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - William Wesson
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Emerson Logan
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Carine Tabak
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
| | - Muhammad Umair Mushtaq
- Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS; US Myeloma Innovations Research Collaborative, Westwood, KS
| | - Tara Lin
- Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS
| | - Joaquina Baranda
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Leyla Shune
- Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS; Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; US Myeloma Innovations Research Collaborative, Westwood, KS
| | - Al-Ola Abdallah
- Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS; Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; US Myeloma Innovations Research Collaborative, Westwood, KS
| | - Joseph McGuirk
- Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS
| | - Mehdi Hamadani
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Nausheen Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS; Division of Hematologic Malignances and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KS; Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; US Myeloma Innovations Research Collaborative, Westwood, KS.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ordaz DJG, Roy J, Ahmad I, Kaouache M, Ramchatesingh B, Whitelaw S, Nikonova A, Bredeson C, Litvinov IV. Assessment of h-index and associated demographic and academic parameters for academic hematologists in Canada. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1457366. [PMID: 39281820 PMCID: PMC11392899 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1457366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The h-index measures researchers' productivity by assessing simultaneously the number of publications and citations. We aimed to assess the factors that could influence h-index for hematologists practicing in academic institutions in Canada. Methods We identified universities with a hematology residency training programs/fellowships using the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) website. We obtained the listing of faculty, sex, and academic ranks by consulting faculty directories or by contacting respective departments/universities, when directories were unavailable or incomplete. For each faculty member, we obtained years since Royal College of Physicians' and Surgeons of Canada certification or equivalent, receipt of Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) grants within the last 5 years, attainment of graduate degrees (M.Sc., Ph.D., other), and the h-index. Results The data included information collected from 372 individuals (171 females) across Canada (Atlantic Provinces: 13; Quebec: 89; Ontario: 182; Prairie Provinces: 59; British Columbia: 29). Univariate analysis showed that male sex, practicing in British Columbia, longer duration since specialty certification, completion of an M.Sc. or a Ph.D. degree, attaining a higher academic rank and receiving CIHR funding were associated with higher h-index. The results of the univariate analysis were concordant with the multivariate analysis, except that practicing in Ontario was also associated with higher h-index. Conclusion This study provides details on the h-index curve/parameters for academic productivity of hematologists in Canada. Importantly, based on multivariate analysis, higher h-index was associated with male sex, location of practice, years since certification, attainment of M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees, academic rank, and recent CIHR funding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean Roy
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Imran Ahmad
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mohammed Kaouache
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Sera Whitelaw
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anna Nikonova
- Division of Hematology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chris Bredeson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ivan V Litvinov
- Division of Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gómez-De León A, Noyola-Pérez A, Gil-Flores L, Malhotra H, Musteata V, El-Beshlawy A, Tadjoedin H, Pavlovsky C, Cortes J. Bringing global hematology research to the forefront. Blood Adv 2024; 8:3607-3611. [PMID: 38739717 PMCID: PMC11279253 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Gómez-De León
- Department of Hematology, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México
| | - Andrés Noyola-Pérez
- Department of Hematology, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México
| | - Lourdes Gil-Flores
- Department of Hematology, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México
| | - Hemant Malhotra
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sri Ram Cancer Center, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, India
| | - Vasile Musteata
- N. Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Discipline of Hematology, Institute of Oncology, Department of Hematology, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
| | | | - Hilman Tadjoedin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dharmais National Cancer Center, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Carolina Pavlovsky
- Department of Hematology and Research, Fundación de Lucha Contra la Leucemia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Cortes
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Silvestre J, Aakhus E, Weldeslase TA, DeLisser HM. A 15-Year Analysis of Supply and Demand for Hematology and Oncology Training in the United States. JCO Oncol Pract 2024; 20:717-724. [PMID: 38285966 DOI: 10.1200/op.23.00531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE There is a paucity of research on the supply of the hematology and oncology workforce despite projected shortages in the United States Over the past 15 years of the hematology and oncology match (HOM), we hypothesized that there would be more growth in the number of training positions relative to applicants, higher match rates for US allopathic graduates relative to non-US allopathic graduates, and fewer applicants matching at their top fellowship choices. METHODS This was a national, retrospective cohort study of all applicants in the HOM (2009-2023). Match rates and applicant-to-training position ratios were calculated and compared over time with Pearson tests. RESULTS Growth in the number of annual training positions (426-708; 66% increase) exceeded growth in the number of interested applicants (706-945; 34% increase; P < .001). Annual applicant-to-training position ratios decreased from 1.7 to 1.3 (r = -0.813; P < .001). Match rates increased over the study period for both US allopathic graduates (79%-88%; r = 0.761; P = .001) and non-US allopathic graduates (45%-63%; r = 0.801; P < .001). During each year, match rates for US allopathic graduates exceeded those for non-US allopathic graduates (P < .001). From 2018 to 2023, US allopathic graduates (83%) had higher match rates than US osteopathic graduates (60%) and international medical graduates (50%; P < .001). The percentage of applicants that matched at one of their top three fellowship choices increased from 53% to 60% (r = 0.480; P = .070). Fewer available annual training positions went unfilled over the study period (3%-0.3%; r = - 0.870; P < .001). CONCLUSION Match rates have increased in the HOM but remain competitive especially for non-US allopathic graduates. Future investigation is needed to understand disparities in match outcomes by additional applicant and fellowship program characteristics. Ongoing surveillance of HOM outcomes remains critical given the projected shortages in the US hematology and oncology workforce.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Aakhus
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Horace M DeLisser
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jacobs JW, Fleming T, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Spector ND, Booth GS, Armijo PR, Silver JK. Gender Representation of Editors at Journals Affiliated with Major U.S. Medical Societies. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2023; 32:1308-1319. [PMID: 37851989 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To assess the gender composition of upper-level specialty-specific editor positions among United States (U.S.) medical society-affiliated journals and to evaluate the equitable inclusion of women and women physicians. Materials and Methods: The gender composition of upper-level (e.g., editor-in-chief, deputy) specialty-specific editor positions among 39 U.S. medical society-affiliated journals as of January 5, 2023, was analyzed. Editor positions below the level of associate editor were excluded. Parity (50:50 representation) and equity (compared with the proportion of practicing physicians in each medical specialty) benchmarks were utilized to determine if women are underrepresented in editor positions. Results: A total of 862 editor positions among 39 journals were assessed. Women held 32.9% (284/862) of positions (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.9%-36.2%), significantly less than expected based on the U.S. population (p < 0.001). Physicians comprised 90.8% (783/862) of positions, of whom 30.4% (238/783) were women physicians (95% CI: 27.3%-33.7%), significantly less than expected (p < 0.001). Thirty-three (84.6%, 95% CI: 70.3%-92.8%) journals were below parity for women overall, whereas 34 (87.2%, 95% CI: 73.3%-94.4%) were below parity for women physicians. Fourteen (35.9%, 95% CI: 22.7%-51.6%) journals were below equity for women physicians. Notably, 13 (33.3%, 95% CI: 20.6%-49.0%) journals were below both parity and equity for women overall and women physicians. Conclusions: This study reveals mixed results in the equitable inclusion of women in editor positions of journals affiliated with U.S. medical societies. Despite the equitable inclusion of women in editorial roles being a remediable issue, approximately one third of journals affiliated with major U.S. medical societies remain inequitable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Jacobs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Talya Fleming
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Edison, New Jersey, USA
| | - Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Nancy D Spector
- Department of Pediatrics, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM), Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Garrett S Booth
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Priscila Rodrigues Armijo
- Academic Affairs, Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Julie K Silver
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|