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Why we need to increase diversity in the immunology research community

Nature Immunology volume 20, pages 1085–1088 (2019)Cite this article

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The immunology research community lacks diversity, particularly at the top. Here I discuss diversity, inclusion and equity and their benefit to science. I suggest steps we can take to achieve a more diverse and inclusive community.

Immunologists are well aware of the importance of diversity. Effectiveness of the adaptive immune system depends on diversifying antigen receptors through recombination and mutations. Diversity in T and B cell receptors makes a life-or-death difference in the body’s ability to defend against pathogens. Vertebrates also rely on immunological diversity at the population level, through polymorphic and polygenic major histocompatibility complex molecules to maximize the repertoire of peptides that can be presented to T cells for recognition. However, the immunology research community has fallen short of applying this principle. All-male panels (or ‘manels’) and symposia with all white speakers are still common.

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Fig. 1: Percentage of men and women in the US resident population versus those employed full time in faculty positions in degree-granting post-secondary institutions, by race/ethnicity and sex.
Fig. 2: Percentage of women in career stages and typical timing of first F32 and R01.

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Acknowledgements

I thank the members of my laboratory, past and present, for teaching me the value of diversity in science. Many of the insights I shared in this commentary came from posts by my fellow scientists on Twitter. I thank the funding agencies, including the HHMI, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, NSF, and NIH for their commitment and effort in promoting diversity in science.

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  1. Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Akiko Iwasaki

  2. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA

    Akiko Iwasaki

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Correspondence to Akiko Iwasaki.

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Iwasaki, A. Why we need to increase diversity in the immunology research community. Nat Immunol 20, 1085–1088 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0470-6

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