Sex, Gender, and Emerging Technology in Healthcare: Mitigating Bias and Fostering Equity

This book, Sex, Gender, and Emerging Technology in Healthcare: Mitigating Bias and Fostering Equity, is a timely and comprehensive exploration of how sex and gender influence health, disease, and medical research. With increasing recognition of the critical role that biological sex and gender identity play in health outcomes, this book seeks to bridge the gaps in current understanding and offer practical insights for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers.
The motivation behind this book stems from a growing awareness of sex and gender disparities in medicine. Historically, research has often been conducted using male subjects as the default, overlooking the distinct biological, physiological, and sociocultural factors that affect health in women and gender-diverse populations. This oversight has contributed to inequities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. By integrating cutting-edge research across multiple disciplines, this book responds to the urgent need for a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of health and disease.
The aim of this book is to provide a foundational and advanced exploration of sex and gender differences in health, using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates biology, neuroscience, pharmacology, oncology, environmental health, and machine learning. The book's scope includes the latest research on sex-specific disease mechanisms, gender-sensitive clinical practices, and innovative methodologies for studying these differences. It presents these topics at both foundational and advanced levels, making the book accessible to a broad audience while remaining a valuable resource for experts.

Dr. Heisook Lee, President of Korea Center for Gendered Innovations in Science and Technology Research (GISTeR) and Professor Emeritus at Ewha Womans University, is a prominent advocate for inclusive R&D, emphasizing the integration of sex, gender, and intersectional analysis. With a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Queen's University, Canada, her career highlights a dedication to empowering women and girls in STEM. She pioneered national HRD initiatives like the Returnee Program for career-interrupted women and a mentoring program for female STEM students during her time as founding president of the Center of WISET. Her current research focuses on AI for inclusive growth, policy for disseminating gendered innovations, and promoting reliability through gendered innovations in STEMM research. Dr. Lee has edited and co-authored books such as "AI, Beyond Bias" and "Gendered Innovation, Inclusive Future of Architecture and City.
Prof. Lee has served as a Professor at Ewha Womans University from 1980 to 2014 and was the Director/President of WISET (Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology). Her research focuses on gendered innovations in science and policy development.
She has received numerous honors, including the National Science and Technology Medal (2003), the Seoul Culture Award (2007), and the Samsung Happiness Award (2016).
Prof. (Dr.) Nayoung Kim is a Professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine, a member of the National Academy of Medicine of Korea, and the Director of the Research Center for Sex and Gender Specific Medicine, Dr. Nayoung Kim is a highly accomplished medical doctor and researcher specializing in gastroenterology. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of areas including Helicobacter pylori, gastric cancer, GERD, functional dyspepsia, age-related changes in gastrointestinal organs, and sex-specific medicine. Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Nayoung Kim has held esteemed positions such as Vice President of Korea Federation of Women Science and Technology Association and Vice President of Korean Society of Gastroenterology. Recognized as a prominent figure in sex differences research within the field of gastroenterological cancer, Professor Nayoung Kim actively advocates for the significance of sex differences research across various clinical domains. Her contributions have greatly advanced our understanding of the impact of sex and gender on clinical research.
Prof. (Dr.) Sabine Oertelt-Prigione is a Full Professor of Gender in Primary and Transmural Care at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands and also holds a position at Bielefeld University in Germany. Her research is deeply rooted in internal medicine and public health, with a specialized focus on gender medicine. She has significantly contributed to the field by developing the first systematic database on sex and gender-specific literature and co-editing one of the pioneering textbooks on gender medicine. Her innovative work includes designing prevention methods for issues like gender inequality in health, refugee health, and preventing interpersonal violence and sexual harassment. Professor Oertelt-Prigione has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Max Rubner Prize for a project addressing sexual harassment in hospitals.