Editors' Note: Leadership, Recognition Awards, and Publication by Men and Women in the American Academy of Neurology

Abstract

In “Leadership, Recognition Awards, and Publication by Men and Women in the American Academy of Neurology,” Miyasaki et al. reported a proportional increase in female membership, committee engagement, first- and last-author publications, and awards between 1997 and 2017. In fact, they found that proportionately, women were significantly more likely to receive recognition awards in this time period, although the absolute number of women was lower. The authors compared their findings with a previous study by Silver et al., which showed women only received 21.9% of AAN awards. However, Silver et al. clarified that this percentage refers to awards aimed at individual physician recipients from 2008 to 2017, emphasizing that although women as a whole were proportionally more likely to receive recognition awards, women physicians comprise the minority of recipients of awards aimed at physicians. Langer-Gould complimented the AAN's efforts to improve sex disparities but noted that there is more work to be done, as evidenced by the fact that only one-third of AAN members who are senior, researcher, or honorary neurologists are women. Although she posited that female neurologists may see less value in AAN membership, Keran et al. refuted this suggestion, noting that, based on their assumptions, there will not be an equal number of women and men AAN members until 2047 and that 92.7% of US neurologists are members of the AAN. Silver et al. further commented that future disparity studies must emphasize consistency, accuracy, and transparency, and Gross et al. agreed. In “Leadership, Recognition Awards, and Publication by Men and Women in the American Academy of Neurology,” Miyasaki et al. reported a proportional increase in female membership, committee engagement, first- and last-author publications, and awards between 1997 and 2017. In fact, they found that proportionately, women were significantly more likely to receive recognition awards in this time period, although the absolute number of women was lower. The authors compared their findings with a previous study by Silver et al., which showed women only received 21.9% of AAN awards. However, Silver et al. clarified that this percentage refers to awards aimed at individual physician recipients from 2008 to 2017, emphasizing that although women as a whole were proportionally more likely to receive recognition awards, women physicians comprise the minority of recipients of awards aimed at physicians. Langer-Gould complimented the AAN's efforts to improve sex disparities but noted that there is more work to be done, as evidenced by the fact that only one-third of AAN members who are senior, researcher, or honorary neurologists are women. Although she posited that female neurologists may see less value in AAN membership, Keran et al. refuted this suggestion, noting that, based on their assumptions, there will not be an equal number of women and men AAN members until 2047 and that 92.7% of US neurologists are members of the AAN. Silver et al. further commented that future disparity studies must emphasize consistency, accuracy, and transparency, and Gross et al. agreed.