Gender equity in academia has proved to be incredibly challenging. Despite some growing initiatives to overcome the gender gap, progress has been difficult and slow. The Biochemistry Department at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), where I am a Senior Researcher, is unfortunately no exception. Over the past eight years, I have observed a significant gender disparity, not only among our members but also among the external guests participating in our seminars. 

Motivated by this noticeable gender imbalance and the broader issue of gender disparity in academia, I embarked on a detailed analysis to address three major topics within this Department: 

1. Gender Discrepancies in Lab Leadership and Composition.

2. Career Progression and Gender Disparities.

3. Inequity in Seminar Invitations: Highlighting Gender Imbalance in Academic Opportunities

For this project, I collected, cleaned and analyzed data from the official department website and the Weill Cornell Medicine events website.

The Biochemistry Department at WCM consists of 66 members across 11 laboratories. Overall, gender distribution among members is relatively balanced, with an average of 3.5 ± 0.76 males versus 2.45 ± 0.4 females per lab, a difference that is not statistically significant.

However, a clear gender discrepancy emerges when analyzing higher-level academic roles, particularly Principal Investigators or Lab Heads. In our department, only two out of eleven labs are managed by women. Furthermore, examining gender distribution within each lab reveals significant disparities.

Six labs are predominantly composed of men, averaging 5.33 ± 0.71 males versus 2.0 ± 0.52 females, a statistically significant difference. These labs also tend to be the largest in the department, with 7-12 members. Conversely, three labs are predominantly composed of women, averaging 1.33 ± 0.33 males versus 3.67 ± 0.33 females, which is also statistically significant. These labs are the smallest in the department, with 4-6 members. Notably, the only lab with a gender-balanced distribution is led by one of the two female lab heads.

In conclusion, while the overall gender distribution among members appears relatively even at first glance, a deeper analysis reveals imbalances within individual labs. This disparity is softened by the differing sizes of the labs, with some having more male members and others more female members. However, the most striking finding is the significant gender gap among lab heads.

Lab composition generally consists of Principal Investigators, Senior Researchers, Postdoctoral Associates, Graduate Students, and Research Technicians, ranging from higher seniority to entry level. In the Department of Biochemistry at WCM, 32% of the members are Postdocs, followed by Research Technicians, Graduate Students, Principal Investigators, and Senior Researchers.

An analysis of gender distribution by role reveals that the gap starts at higher seniority levels. While the gender distribution is equal at the entry level, the next career level shows a higher number of female Graduate Students at 69%. However, this trend reverses at more senior levels: 67% of Postdocs are men, and as previously discussed, 82% of Principal Investigators are also men.

These results are consistent with other studies that show the gender gap increases at more advanced career levels in academia.

In academia, it is common practice to organize seminars with guest speakers from other institutions. These seminars are essential for advancing knowledge, fostering networks, and creating future collaborations. They also provide an excellent platform for young scientists to share their projects with their peers. 

Gender disparity in academia is evident not only in the number of men running labs, but also in the selection of seminar guests. This imbalance underscores the insufficient efforts to promote scientific careers for women and the persistent challenges they face in sharing their advances and contributions.

Since the summer of 2016, the department has hosted 50 seminars, with a dramatic preference for male scientists (86%). On average, women are invited 1.4 times a year (SD ± 0.89), while men are invited 8.6 times a year (SD ± 4.77). So far this year, only two female scientist has been invited. It is concerning that such disparity continues to persist in 2024.

Note: Data was collected from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024. COVID-19 and other factors may have influenced the lack of data in certain years.