Gender disparities in international COVID-19 clinical trial leadership

Cevik, Muge; Haque, Syed Arefinul; Manne, Jennifer; Kuppalli, Krutika; Sax, Paul E; Majumder, Maimuna S; Orkin, Chloe

Emerging data suggest that despite an increased number of peer-reviewed articles submitted to journals during the pandemic, women have published fewer papers than men thus far this year. In this study, we provide timely analysis to compare the gender distribution of clinical trial leadership in COVID-19 clinical trials. We demonstrate that less than one-third of COVID-19-related clinical trials are led by principal investigators who were predicted to be women, half the proportion observed in non-COVID-19 (breast cancer and T2DM) trials over the same period. These gender disparities during the pandemic may indicate not only a lack of women's leadership in international clinical trials and involvement in new projects but also may reveal imbalances in women's access to research activities and funding during health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic offers numerous opportunities for research and leadership that could equalize opportunity in a new field, but our results suggest the opposite. Our demonstration of gender differences in trial leadership and grant allocation argue for revised policies and strategies that encourage the participation of women in pandemic research. Not only can these women drive discovery and innovation, but they can act to address health disparities and provide role models for the next generation of women scientists.