Editorial Note about Nobel Prize selection in medicine/physiology

[Adelaide]

I recently subscribed to the Lancet because it will be useful as I chug along in academia and the online access through my university does not have all of the most recent articles by this journal. At any rate, I get alerts for specific Lancet specialty publications and was checking the neurology updates when I came across an editorial from 3 days ago. Here is an excerpt:

Of the 216 Nobel Prizes for Physiology or Medicine laureates to date, only 12 are women. It could be argued that some of the bias is due to historical imbalance; the scientific community has only started to recognise that poor diversity limits the breadth of scientific findings in the past 10 years. But that is discounting that institutional discrimination, which still affects scientific institutions, might also be pervasive in the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine's selection process....

Some debate the purpose of medical awards celebrating the success of individuals. They claim that they are anachronistic at a time when collaborative research should be prioritised. Maybe these awards can still serve to inspire young scientists, as long as the image of scientific excellence they reflect is not one that rewards privilege but one that addresses its class, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender, and other biases. To become a driver towards this new image of research rather than a passive contributor to systematic prejudice, the Nobel Foundation might need to reform its processes and put those who are under-represented in charge of the Laureate selection. Amending the Nobel Foundation statutes that restrict transparency of the nomination process would go a long way towards making these barriers to access visible to all.

Nobel Foundation Needs to Check Its Privilege - The Lancet.

Not sure where I stand on the issue because women are increasingly entering the STEM fields, but that's a relatively recent process. Some of the most extraordinary medical advancements have also occurred outside the United States, in places like Japan where women may not have equal access as men. It seems too complicated to simply blame the selection process, in my opinion. I also do not agree with any move to award individuals whose work is not better than another's but is rewarded anyway because of lack of diversity.

[Peter1469]

Right, adding diversity criteria to consideration of a Nobel prize is political correct nonsense that would only lessen its value. It should be merit based.

Of course I am not against added transparency to the selection process.