Gender Gap and Impact Analysis in Cardiovascular Research

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess gender inequalities in research publications in the field of heart disease and to examine the influence of these disparities on research success. Our approach employs explainable machine learning models to gauge publication impact, uncovering the key institutional and demographic factors contributing to successful research outcomes, measured by the beneficiaries of the published research. We analyze a database of heart disease research publications funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 2002 to 2020. Our analysis uncovers gender disparities, particularly a greater presence of male first authors in prominent journals and institutions. Furthermore, works authored by males generally garner more citations and achieve higher NIH funding scores than those by females, highlighting an enduring gender disparity in publication rates and visibility. In conclusion, this study offers crucial insights into the determinants of impactful publications in the field of heart disease research, encompassing institutional affiliations, gender inequalities, journal rankings, and study types.