Diversity in pediatric dermatology: A report from the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance and a call to action

Background/objectives: The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) connects pediatric dermatologists, trainees, basic scientists, allied health professionals, and patient advocates to improve the lives of children with skin disease through research. As a training pipeline for future pediatric dermatologists and steward of research in the field, PeDRA has a responsibility to examine its history and take actionable steps to diversify its membership, grant recipients, study leads, research priorities, and leadership.

Methods: In 2020, PeDRA formed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force to address this need. In an effort to assess PeDRA's past and plan for PeDRA's future, a review of PeDRA's membership, leadership, grant awardees, and research topics was conducted.

Results/conclusions: Results demonstrated gaps in PeDRA's current operational efforts to diversify the pediatric dermatology workforce and identified areas for improvement. Recommendations are proposed as a call to action for the community.