Women in Health Sciences

In This Edition

From the Editors ?? - Topic in Focus ?? - Popular on LinkedIn ?? - Featured ?? - Footnote ??

From the Editors ??

In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we wanted to delve into the contribution that women have made to the health science field, the progress of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields (STEM), and look at gender disparities in scientific studies. Join us as we explore the role women have played in catalyzing changes in biomedicine.

Do you have any additional remarkable women’s contributions in health sciences that you would like to highlight? Share them in the Comments section.?

We hope you enjoy reading as much we enjoyed creating the content.

Your "Beyond Science" Editorial Team ??

Nesrin, Victoria and Fabian

Topic in Focus ??

We recognize that women have made significant contributions to health sciences throughout history, despite facing various challenges to their participation. Here are some of the amazing discoveries in health sciences that have revolutionized the biomedical field:?

• Medicine:?

Metrodora (C. 200-400 AD): A physician who wrote "On The Diseases and Cures of Women", the oldest medical text known to be written by a woman, developing various therapies and surgical techniques that were revolutionary at the time.?

Virginia Apgar (1909-1974): An obstetrical anaesthetist who developed the Apgar Score, a quick assessment tool to evaluate the health of newborns.?

Rosalyn Yalow (1921-2011): A?medical physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 1977 for the development of the radioimmunoassays (RIA) technique, used to scan blood donations for infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, ensuring blood transfusions were safe and effective. Later,?this allowed scientists to prove the relationship between type-2 diabetes?and insulin.

• Nursing:?

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910): She revolutionized healthcare by emphasizing sanitation and hygiene in hospitals. Her work during the Crimean War significantly improved patient care.?

Letitia Mumford Geer (1852-1935): A nurse who invented the one-hand medical syringe that is used by all medical practitioners today.?

• Genetics:?

Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958): Her X-ray diffraction images played a crucial role in the discovery of the DNA double helix structure, paving the way for modern day genetics research. Franklin also led pioneering work on the molecular structures of RNA viruses and Polio.?

• Virology and Vaccinology:?

Sarah Stewart (1905-1976): Collaborated with Bernice Eddy to discover the polyomavirus and contributed to the development of the first successful tumour vaccine.?

Fran?oise Barré-Sinoussi (b. 1947): Shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 2008 for her role in the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).?

• Public Health:?

Gro Harlem Brundtland (b. 1939): A former Prime Minister and Director-General of the World Health Organization , Brundtland has been a prominent advocate for global health and sustainable development.?

• Mental Health:?

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004): A psychiatrist known for her work on the five stages of grief, which has had a significant impact on the understanding of emotional responses to serious illness and death.?

• Physics and Chemistry:?

Marie Curie (1867-1934): A mathematician and scientist who, along with her husband, helped discover two chemical elements in the periodic table: polonium and radium that led the way to the development of the x-ray, to be used for diagnosis without the need for open surgery, and radiation therapy for treating cancer. Her work earned her a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, and yet another in Chemistry in 1911, the first and only woman to have been honoured twice. The Curie Institute in Paris, she founded in 1920, is still a major cancer research facility today.?

Gertrude Belle Elion (1918-1999): A chemist who shared a Nobel Prize with George H. Hitchins and Sir James Black for innovative methods of rational drug design, which focused on understanding the target of the drug rather than simply using trial and error.?

Jennifer Doudna (b.1964) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (b. 1968): Co-winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the “development of a method for genome editing” known as CRISPR, which allows scientists to precisely cut any strand of DNA. A powerful and versatile tool that has implications in several applications including and not limited to removing malaria from mosquitoes, treating HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, developing new drugs, agriculture and livestock, developing new cancer treatments, and even climate change.?

• Biochemistry:?

Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1910-1994): Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her work on the structure of important biochemical substances using X-ray crystallography.?

• Epidemiology:?

Alice Stewart (1906-2002): Conducted pioneering research on the health effects of radiation exposure and identified the link between prenatal X-rays and childhood cancer.?

Gender differences in scientific studies and treatment response?

Gender differences in scientific research have also been a topic of discussion and research in recent years. They refer to variations in the outcomes, responses, or patterns observed between males and females in research settings. Researchers often investigate sex and gender differences to better understand disease prevalence and the impact of gender on various aspects of health, behavior, cognition, treatment response, learning styles, sports performance, and more.

Recognizing gender based biological differences is important in developing a deeper understanding of the genetic and hormone-based sex differences in numerous diseases and therapies.? Researchers strive to conduct studies that are unbiased, and consider the complexity of gender-related influences. As societal perspectives evolve, so does the understanding of gender, influencing the design and interpretation of scientific studies. In addition, the rise of gender-based research has led to an increase in the past decade of “FemTech”, i.e., medical technology to address the needs of women’s health.?

The progress of women in the STEM fields?

While women have made significant contributions to STEM, there has been a historical underrepresentation of women in these areas that persist even today, despite ongoing efforts to address gender disparities. This underrepresentation is evident in both academia and industry, with fewer women, compared to men, pursuing STEM degrees and careers. While progress has been made, challenges persist. Ongoing research investigates the factors contributing to the gender gap in STEM and explores effective strategies for fostering diversity and inclusion. Recognizing the value of gender diversity in problem-solving and innovation is critical for the success of STEM fields. Increasing visibility of successful women in STEM and highlighting the achievements of women scientists and engineers is crucial for inspiring the next generation while challenging stereotypes and encouraging girls to pursue STEM interests.?

This month, let’s take the time to recognize the value and pivotal role that women have played in advancing health sciences, breaking down gender barriers, and inspiring future generations of women to pursue careers in the field. Despite historical challenges, the contributions of women in health sciences continue to be vital for scientific progress and improving global health outcomes.?

Popular on LinkedIn ??

• Ruhee Meghani wrote that only in 1993 did the US Congress pass the NIH Revitalization Act, for the mandated inclusion of women in clinical trials. Prior to this, men were considered as the “medical norm”.?
• Geoff Martha shared that cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death in women globally, needs additional research in order to address treatment disparities.?
• Anastasiya Markvarde wrote about the history of women’s health research and the disparities that continue to exist in diagnosis, treatment, and funding of research in diseases that predominantly affect women.?
• Doctor Philip Brown wrote about the US healthcare system and how this impacts women’s health.?
• Susan Stover highlighted that only 5% of scientific studies include a sex or gender analysis.?
• Mette Thomsen shared a post about the importance of diversity and women in the field of science to help address global challenges.?
• Malin Frithiofssin shared a report that suggests that closing the gender gap in women’s health could unlock economic gains in the trillions.???
• Ghita Amrani shared an analysis from the World Economic Forum rum and McKinsey Health that shows that improving women’s health can potentially boost a country’s GDP significantly.?
• Kay Judge shared a post about how AI’s bias could potentially exacerbate existing healthcare gender inequities.?
• Zahid Ali wrote about digital health IT and how this can be used to address disparities.?

Featured ??

In this special episode of the "Meet the Editor-in-Chief" series, two co-editors, Dr. Sharon Adler and Dr. Cythina Nast, discuss their contribution to the field of nephrology and their recent launch of the Glomerular Diseases journal.

Footnote ???

• For scientists that would like to contribute to scientific research on gender disparities, consider these Call for Papers in the following journals:?

Sex and Gender in Neurodegenerative Diseases in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Sex and Gender Disparities in Stroke in Cerebralvascular Diseases