Gender disparities in research trial leadership within oral and maxillofacial surgery

Gender disparities in research trial leadership have been reported in nearly every medical specialty. The true extent of women's involvement as principal investigators (PIs) in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) research trials remains unknown. The current study aims to address this knowledge gap through analyzing relevant trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in the 21st century. A validated search strategy, comprising procedure names and field-specific terms, was utilized to identify OMS research trials. The analysis was limited to trials where at least one PI was an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or an OMS department-affiliated researcher. Trial characteristics, including study type, phase, funding status, and investigator details were extracted from records. PI gender was determined using Genderize.io. Overall, men occupied 73.7% of PI positions for OMS research trials, and women 26.3%. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant yearly increase in proportion of women PIs over time. Geographically, women PI representation was highest in African (predominantly Egypt) and Asian institutions, and lowest in European and North American institutions. Relative to other phases, women PIs were significantly more likely to lead Phase 3 trials and less likely to lead Phase 2 trials compared to men PIs. While government funding patterns were similar between genders, women PIs were significantly less likely to lead industry-funded trials. Despite recent improvements, women remain underrepresented in OMS research trial leadership, especially in North American institutions. Targeted interventions and cultural shift are essential to fostering gender-based parity in this domain.