CASE STUDY
Global CVCT Forum – Advancing gender equity in cardiology clinical trials
Published Date – 17 December 2024
Since 2020, Women As One has partnered with the Global Cardiovascular Clinical Trialist Forum (CVCT) to strengthen the presence of women in cardiology at one of the field’s most prestigious global conferences. The CVCT Forum brings together leading cardiovascular trialists from around the world to discuss critical topics in clinical trial methodology, regulation, and results. Yet despite the high profile and relevance of this platform, women cardiologists remain significantly underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trial leadership. This partnership was developed to address this disparity and create more opportunities for women in cardiology to participate, lead, and be recognized in clinical research.
Driving inclusion in clinical trial leadership
Women As One plays a key role in CVCT’s program planning committee, where it helps identify and nominate qualified women cardiologists to serve as faculty across the Forum’s agenda. This involvement ensures that women experts are included in conversations shaping the future of cardiovascular clinical trials. In addition to faculty selection, Women As One and CVCT collaborate each year to develop dedicated joint sessions that explore gender-based issues in cardiovascular research. These sessions focus on addressing gender disparities in clinical trials, improving the enrollment of women patients, and promoting more equitable trial design and implementation strategies.
Launching the Research Scholars Award
To further advance gender equity in cardiology, Women As One launched the Research Scholars Award in 2023. This award is designed to support early-career women in cardiology with a focus on those pursuing research and clinical trials. Through this initiative, selected women trialists are invited to attend the CVCT Forum and engage directly with some of the most influential leaders in cardiovascular medicine. A dedicated networking luncheon introduces awardees to senior faculty and industry leaders, offering them unique access to mentorship and career-building opportunities that are otherwise difficult to attain.
Measurable progress and growing impact
The impact of this collaboration is already visible. In the first year of partnership, 27 women from the Women As One Talent Directory were selected to participate in CVCT, with 93% of them attending the Forum for the first time. This marked a significant step forward in building a more inclusive and representative cardiovascular research community. Over the first two years of the Research Scholars Award, 10 emerging women trialists have been supported in attending CVCT and have benefited from dedicated mentorship experiences.
Women As One continues to innovate in its collaboration with CVCT. The 2024 joint session focused on trial design strategies that lead to better enrollment of women in cardiovascular clinical research. By consistently integrating women cardiologists into the academic and professional fabric of global cardiology, this partnership is helping to reshape the landscape of clinical trial leadership and drive lasting progress in gender equity within the field.
Women As One is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the inclusion, development, and advancement of women physicians in cardiology. By creating opportunities and resources specifically designed to support women in the field, we aim to address long-standing gender disparities and foster a more equitable and representative cardiovascular workforce.
We believe that partnerships with industry organizations are essential to creating meaningful, systemic change. Through collaboration, we can amplify our reach, align on shared goals, and develop innovative initiatives that promote gender equity across all areas of cardiology, from clinical trials and leadership to education and visibility. If your organization is committed to making cardiology a more inclusive and diverse specialty, we would be delighted to explore potential opportunities for collaboration. To learn more about partnership opportunities with Women As One, please contact us at info@womenasone.org.
Let’s create a lasting impact, together.
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