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Mind the gap: women in research
By Dr Melissa Maguire Dr Melissa Maguire is a Consultant Neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and NIHR Specialty lead in Neurological Disorders for Yorkshire & Humber. She holds the honorary title of Clinical Associate Professor in Neurology at the University of Leeds.
supervisors, it did require a certain level of enthusiasm from me to ensure I remained ‘research active’ and up to date within my field. Actively seeking out opportunities as a trainee goes a long way with busy consultants and once people are aware of your interest, I found more and more academic opportunities opening up to me.
The gender gap in research Women make up around three quarters of the NHS workforce and represent over half of all medical school graduates. Yet women account for just one third of UK researchers working within the medical field. This disproportionate gender pattern of researchers is seen globally and exists across other research areas including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). So why does this gender gap exist? And how can we address the imbalance? A survey conducted by the Royal College of Physicians in 2020 reported that women members and fellows particularly those working less than full time and those working within non-university hospital settings participated in research in disproportionately lower numbers than men (a 12% gap). This was not for a lack of interest however, with more than one third not research active expressing a desire to participate. This suggests an untapped research potential. Many stated that a lack of time, inflexible job planning and perceived lack of skills and supportive culture in their organisation were key challenges. Women were also less likely to report formal academic training, a completed higher degree and university funded time at new consultant level. This suggests divergence potentially occurring during training. These factors are likely to explain why fewer women go on to attain senior leadership roles in research. For example, only 11% of professorial roles are held by women in UK Medical Schools despite a steady increase in the number of women and graduate students entering Medicine. This remains an ongoing concern since the importance (and lack of) inspirational role models and mentors are critical in supporting and developing women in research.
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‘As a trainee, being enthusiastic and actively seeking out research led to a snow-ball effect of academic opportunity’
‘One third of women surveyed expressed interest in research and represent an untapped research potential’ (RCP: Research for all, 2020)
My research pathway My own research pathway began in the North West in 2004. I scrambled into a research job in Liverpool having failed to secure a training number in Neurology through my lack of a completed higher degree. At the time I had not intended to divert from clinical training yet what seemed like an uncertain off road step actually turned out to be the most important and career defining three years I have ever worked. I cut my teeth in epilepsy, acquired a bunch of new analytical skills and became part of a supportive clinical research network. The friends and mentors I made during my higher research degree continue to influence my research pathway and career today. The vast majority however were men! Experience of research opportunity during higher training in Newcastle was quite mixed given competing demands on time to deliver service work and keeping up with the training portfolio. Whilst I came across many supportive
The best part of being a Consultant Neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals has been joining like-minded women peers and mentors who have a passion for research and have set out to raise the academic bar in Neurology. In 2011, I joined a research team conducting a handful of research studies in multiple sclerosis with a single research nurse. Fast forward a decade and we now have a portfolio of over 20 studies in the fields of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders and headache, a research team of seven, competitive doctorate fellowships and the first Professor of Neurology, who yes, is a woman! One of the key aspects for me in taking part in research is being able to contribute in a meaningful way to improving patient care and being at the forefront of new treatments and innovations in epilepsy. I find the intellectual stimulation appealing and it brings variety to what can sometimes feel like a monotonous clinical job. Approaching research as a newly appointed consultant can be daunting and some may question whether they have the appropriate skill sets and knowledge. The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) clinical network has been fundamental in providing opportunities to early career researchers. There are MRC-NIHR academic research partnerships that can fund dedicated research time, skills workshops and network opportunities to participate in clinical trials. When I started out at Leeds, I took on a phase four portfolio epilepsy study to gain
