Opportunities and Challenges for Women PhD Investigators in Gastrointestinal Research

Abstract

Clinical Gastroenterology has been a traditionally male-dominated field. Evidence of change stems from recent studies which demonstrate that increasing numbers of women are choosing careers in Clinical Gastroenterology 1. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Board of Internal Medicine, 14% of gastroenterology residents/fellows were female in 1995–1996 2 and 31.9% were female in 2010 (https://www.aamc.org/data/). These numbers are encouraging, but there is still much to be done 3. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), a major professional society in our field, is actively promoting inclusion of women in all aspects of the society’s work and elected its second female president, Dr. Gail Hecht, in 2010. In addition, the current President-Elect of the American Physiology Society (APS), Dr. Kim Barrett, is a woman PhD gastrointestinal (GI) researcher. This commentary is a partnership between three women PhD investigators. Two are new investigators at different stages in transition from mentored research to an independent career, and the third an established investigator in GI Research who has advocated for women in science 4. We share a passion for uncovering basic biological and molecular principles that govern health and diseases of the GI system, and importantly a commitment to research that permits translation of discoveries to better prevent, detect, diagnose and treat GI diseases. Each of us has experienced working in both a basic biomedical research department and in a clinical department. The ultimate goal of this commentary is to highlight opportunities and barriers facing women PhD researchers in the GI field, and to suggest some useful solutions and directions, with emphasis on the perspective of new investigators.