In the article by Nobles et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(9):1710-1720), characteristics of those epidemiologists selected for various chair and presentation roles at the annual meetings of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) from 2015 through 2017 were examined. Characteristics that were compared included inferred gender, institutional affiliation, subject area, and h-index. Important disparities were observed between session chairs, speakers, and poster presenters. SER leadership considers diversity and equity to be priorities and is committed to positive change. New programs and processes have been used to broaden participation and improve diversity since 2018, but the SER must continue its efforts to change processes and monitor of the experiences of SER members. A diversity of perspectives within the SER membership and at its meetings will improve all aspects of our practice of epidemiology.
Keywords: bibliometric data; national conference; representation.
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