Please note that to be considered for this collection, the first author or at least one corresponding author should be a researcher who identifies as a woman.

Following the success of the previous editions, Frontiers in Microbiology is thrilled to once again host a Research Topic dedicated to celebrating the contributions and achievements of women in the field of Infectious Agents and Disease, as we collectively strive to embrace equity within the microbiology community.

There is continued gender disparity within core STEM subjects. According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics, just 33% of the world's active researchers are women. While the number of women attending university is growing, they still represent the minority of doctoral students and researchers. Women remain under-represented in the highest level of academia, holding just 26% of full professorships. This is even more skewed in industry with just 3% of STEM industry CEOs being women. As highlighted by UNESCO, science and gender equality are essential to ensure sustainable development.

This Research Topic will act as a platform to promote the work of female researchers across the entire breadth of Infectious Agents and Disease, including:

• Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and zoonotic infectious diseases;

• Causal agents of human disease including infections acquired in healthcare settings;

• Experimental pathogenicity studies that better represent the diversity of pathogenic species;

• Applied research studies that may lead to development of rapid and accurate identification tests and adapted prevention/treatment measures.

This Research Topic is open for submissions including Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods, Opinion and Perspective articles.

Any articles focused on research metrics and gender perspectives or bias in scientific publications would be best suited in Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics journal.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Women in Infectious Agents and Disease: 2025