Disparities and trends in global representation of human genetics conferences: a 26-year longitudinal study of ASHG and ESHG

Abstract

Equity in human genetics research requires balanced participation not only from study participants from global populations but also from the researchers who drive the science. While disparities among research participants across ancestries and countries have been well studied, the representation and disparities of researchers themselves on the global stage remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed over 100,000 abstracts presented at two leading annual conferences in the field, the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG), from 1999 to 2024 to assess trends and geographic disparities. North America and Europe consistently dominated abstract contributions, whereas continents such as Africa, Oceania, and East Asia remained underrepresented, despite gradual increases in participation. The imbalance was even more pronounced in oral presentation: at ASHG, abstracts from North America were approximately 4 times more likely to be selected for talks than those from East Asia and 23 times more likely than those from South America; at ESHG, Europes advantage was 2 times and 9 times, respectively. Notably, Oceania had the highest relative success in oral presentation, with a ratio 5 times higher than East Asia and 29 times higher than South America in ASHG, and 8 times and 33 times higher, respectively, in ESHG. To explore potential drivers of these disparities, we examined 6 national level variables. The multivariable regression model indicated that GDP is the primary factor for abstract, while Nature Index Share is the main factor for oral presentation counts. Our findings highlight persistent global inequalities in representation of human geneticists at premier conferences. Greater international support and targeted initiatives are needed to promote more equitable worldwide involvement in human genetics.