Purpose of the WCIS Committee

Women are integral to academic and clinical excellence, diversity, and all missions of the Clinical Immunology Society. Yet, women face unique challenges in academia and leadership positions; many experience attrition from the advancement pipeline.¹ Dedicated strategies are needed to support the careers of women in biomedical science and medicine and ensure the success of women in all aspects of academic, research and clinical life. ² Additionally, conscious efforts to promote gender balance on the part of conference organizing committees, can help to expand not only the high-quality presentations of valuable work, but to promote women as members of editorial boards, professional committees, and in other invited positions.³

Our goal is to support and encourage the advancement of women at all levels (general members, students, residents, fellows, post-doctoral, clinicians, and faculty) in the CIS to attain their full academic potential via mentorship, sponsorship, personal and professional development, leadership, innovation, inclusiveness, and a welcoming and supportive climate. By advancing women in the health sciences, we advance the excellence and diversity that is so vital to achieving our society’s mission.

Letter from the WCIS Committee Chairs

Dear CIS,

The formation of the Women in Clinical Immunology Sciences (WCIS) committee has heralded some wonderful new initiatives for CIS. Our inaugural event at the CIS Annual Meeting in Toronto this year was quite well attended with 130 members in attendance!
 

We reviewed our common goal of celebrating and elevating women in Immunology, along with empowering them with skills to help them be better leaders and scientists. To help us towards this goal, we delineated four missions for our committee: Awareness and Recruitment, Mentorship, Leadership, and Culture and Resilience...

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