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Erthal FS, Bastos AF, Vaccariello C, Madeira ATS, Santos TS, Stariolo JB, Oliveira L, Pereira MG, Calaza KC, Hedin-Pereira C, Volchan E. Towards diversity in science - a glance at gender disparity in the Brazilian Society of Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 54:e11026. [PMID: 34287580 PMCID: PMC8289346 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2020e11026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gender equity is far from being achieved in most academic institutions worldwide. Women representation in scientific leadership faces multiple obstacles. Implicit bias and stereotype threat are considered important driving forces concerning gender disparities. Negative cultural stereotypes of weak scientific performance, unrelated to true capacity, are implicitly associated with women and other social groups, influencing, without awareness, attitudes and judgments towards them. Meetings of scientific societies are the forum in which members from all stages of scientific careers are brought together. Visibility in the scientific community stems partly from presenting research as a speaker. Here, we investigated gender disparities in the Brazilian Society of Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC). Across the 15 mandates (1978-2020), women occupied 30% of the directory board posts, and only twice was a woman president. We evaluated six meetings held between 2010 and 2019. During this period, the membership of women outnumbered that of men in all categories. A total of 57.50% of faculty members, representing the potential pool of speakers and chairs, were female. Compared to this expected value, female speakers across the six meetings were scarce in full conferences (χ2(5)=173.54, P<0.001) and low in symposia (χ2(5)=36.92, P<0.001). Additionally, women chaired fewer symposia (χ2(5)=47.83, P<0.001). Furthermore, men-chaired symposia had significantly fewer women speakers than women-chaired symposia (χ2(1)=56.44, P<0.001). The gender disparities observed here are similar to those in other scientific societies worldwide, urging them to lead actions to pursue gender balance and diversity. Diversity leads not only to fairness but also to higher-quality science.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Erthal
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - A F Bastos
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - C Vaccariello
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - A T S Madeira
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - T S Santos
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - J B Stariolo
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - L Oliveira
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - M G Pereira
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - K C Calaza
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - C Hedin-Pereira
- Vice-Presidência de Pesquisa e Coleções Biológicas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - E Volchan
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Volchan E, Rocha-Rego V, Bastos AF, Oliveira JM, Franklin C, Gleiser S, Berger W, Souza GGL, Oliveira L, David IA, Erthal FS, Pereira MG, Figueira I. Immobility reactions under threat: A contribution to human defensive cascade and PTSD. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:29-38. [PMID: 28131873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Violence exacts a burden on public health. Gun violence is a major trigger for motor defensive reactions in humans and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is its main psychiatric sequela. However, studies of the human defensive cascade, especially the motor reactions, are at an early stage. This review focuses on studies that employ stabilometry, a methodology that assesses whole body motor reactions, to address defensive behaviors to violence-related threats. Special attention is given to three reactions: "attentive immobility", "immobility under attack" and "tonic immobility", with emphasis on the latter - a peritraumatic reaction which has been strongly associated with the severity of PTSD. These reactions are characterized by reduced body sway and bradycardia, except tonic immobility that presents robust tachycardia. The advances made by investigations into the immobility reactions of the human defensive cascade contribute to helping to bridge the gap between human and non-human species. Furthermore, progresses in basic research to objectively monitor motor defensive reactions under threat can help to develop a dimensional, trans-diagnostic approach to PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Volchan
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - V Rocha-Rego
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - A F Bastos
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - J M Oliveira
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - C Franklin
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - S Gleiser
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - W Berger
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - G G L Souza
- Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - L Oliveira
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil
| | - I A David
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil
| | - F S Erthal
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M G Pereira
- Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil
| | - I Figueira
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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