As part of the MSL Speaker Series, Dima Elissa and Neelum Aggarwal gave a talk on the adverse impacts of gender biases in biomedical research. MSL Student Atefeh shared the following reflections on their topic:
We joined Dima and Neelum’s talk just few minutes after the Ethics class. Our thoughts from our Ethics discussion on gender biases and its extreme impact on business and social welfare were still fresh in our minds. Neelum started her talk by emphasizing “why we must balance the genders of our research participants”. For many biological reasons, different genders respond differently to treatment methods, medications, and drug delivery systems. Significant research results have demonstrated that not only do medications affect males and females differently, but also they adversely impact people across different races and ethnicity. Still, academic studies primarily focus on clinical test results of white males; perhaps, due to the lack of female and/or diverse participants!
Neelum believes that clinical research needs to take this gender and diversity imbalance into consideration and actively work to correct it. In addition, governmental agencies play an important role in diversifying studies by enforcing that all institutions comply with gender/diversity regulations. Dima continued the talk by explaining the importance of innovative medicines and treatment methods for both genders.
I never thought gender biases existed in clinical studies. And I totally agreed with Neelum on the vital role of agencies, such as the NIH, to enforce regulations that encourage diversity in academic research. With new horizons of personalized medicine, I expect the issues of gender bias to diminish gradually.
Connecting our morning discussion on unethical gender biases in the workplace, I am very surprised that decision-makers in public health and medicine have not payed more attention to this huge issue of gender biases in clinical research. Gender bias is not only illegal, but also destructive to management and the productivity of corporations and small businesses.
In my new venture–a small entity that I have founded through the MSL program–I have designed a needle used for prostate biopsy, intended to reduce the risk of blood infection in males. As a woman working on biomedical devices for men, I have seen the importance of unbiased gender consideration in healthcare. Scientists and researchers should work to advance healthcare for all genders, races, and ethnicity, not only their own.
Once we all accept the fact that gender-biases exist, we are one step toward diminishing it!
Atefeh (MSL ’17)
