Gender disparities in international COVID-19 clinical trial leadership

The COVID-19 pandemic offers considerable possibilities for research and leadership that might equalize opportunity in a new field; however, our study finds instead that more than two-thirds of investigators leading COVID-19-related clinical studies are predicted to be men. These gender disparities in trial leadership during the pandemic suggest that the structural reproduction of inequalities in research has taken place once again in this new academic field. This indicates that policies are needed to facilitate the identification and implementation of strategies to correct gender bias. The active participation of women, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals are needed in research to drive scientific discovery and innovation as well as to better address health disparities.