Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr;11(1):21-29.
doi: 10.1159/000542560. Epub 2024 Dec 20.

Female Representation in Ophthalmic Oncology and Pathology: An Analysis of Scholarship and Leadership

Ogul E Uner  1 , Birkaran Sadhar  2 , Lillian Huang  1 , Maxim Breakstone  3 , Jesse L Berry  4 , Dan S Gombos  5 , Prithvi Mruthyunjaya  6 , Alison H Skalet  1   7   8   9
Affiliations

Female Representation in Ophthalmic Oncology and Pathology: An Analysis of Scholarship and Leadership

Ogul E Uner et al. Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Female representation in ophthalmic oncology and pathology is unknown. We evaluated gender-based trends in authorship and leadership in these fields, focusing on intraocular tumors.

Methods: Articles containing "uveal melanoma" (UM), "retinoblastoma" (Rb), "primary intraocular lymphoma" (PIOL), "choroidal metastasis" (CM), and articles in Ocular Oncology and Pathology (OOP) were searched on PubMed and author names obtained. Leadership/awards from 4 international ophthalmic oncology and pathology societies were recorded. GenderAPI was used to predict gender.

Results: Among 4,245 UM, 9,660 Rb, 141 PIOL, 353 CM, and 568 OOP authors, more males were first (range, 52-67%) and last authors (range, 69-76%). Analysis of the 4 keywords showed overall female authorship increased from 2011 to 2016 to 2017-2022 (35%-40%, p < 0.001), with an increase in both first (45%-47%, p = 0.03) and last authorship (26%-33%, p < 0.001). Female first authors were more likely to publish with female last authors (Rb OR 1.72, p < 0.001; OOP OR 2.04, p = 0.01). Males held more leadership roles/awards in societies.

Conclusion: Female representation in ophthalmic oncology and pathology has grown but gender disparities remain. Female first authors were more likely to publish with female last authors. Most society leaders and awardees were male. Cultivating mentorship through professional organizations may help achieve gender parity.

Keywords: Choroidal metastasis; Diversity-Equity-Inclusion; Female representation; Gender; Ocular oncology; Ocular pathology; Ophthalmic oncology; Ophthalmic pathology; Primary intraocular lymphoma; Retinoblastoma; Uveal melanoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

A.H.S. and P.M. are consultants for Castle Biosciences Inc. The remainder of the authors has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
UM authorship over time.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Rb authorship over time.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
PIOL authorship over time.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
CM authorship over time.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Ocular Oncology and Pathology authorship over time.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Leadership roles in ophthalmic oncology and pathology societies over time. AAOOP, American Association of Ophthalmic Oncologists and Pathologists; ISOO, International Society of Ocular Oncology; PAOOS, Pan-American Ocular Oncology Society.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Burton E, Jebaraj A, Eddington D, Brintz BJ, Simpson RG, Pettey JH. Gender representation among presenters in ophthalmology subspecialties in 2019: a retrospective review. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022;242:18–25. - PubMed
    1. Gill HK, Niederer RL, Shriver EM, Gordon LK, Coleman AL, Danesh-Meyer HV. An eye on gender equality: a review of the evolving role and representation of women in ophthalmology. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022;236:232–40. - PubMed
    1. Colleges AoAM . 2022Physician specialty data report 2022.
    1. Azad AD, Chandramohan A, Li AS, Rosenblatt TR, Reeves MGR, Veerappan-Pasricha M, et al. . Representation of women in ophthalmology subspecialty societies over 20 years. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(5):587–90. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mansour AM, Shields CL, Maalouf FC, Massoud VA, Jurdy L, Mathysen DG, et al. . Five-decade profile of women in leadership positions at ophthalmic publications. Arch Ophthalmol. 2012;130(11):1441–6. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources