From what I've seen the problem is not Computer Science as a curriculum but the precursors to someone pursuing computer science as a career option.
Much as girls were not encouraged to help their dad's tinker about the car in the 50's and 60's I don't see them tinkering on their parent's computer as much as boys. I don't know if it is a society induced thing due to commercials and stereotypes or an actual difference in preference of interaction. Most CS majors I've known had significant interaction with computers as a child and developed an interest in them with their peer groups of like minded children. This also falls true with the few girls I've known in CS. A small number of them came into CS from other angles, usually sciences where they had to use computers significantly. I would say the percentage of women coming in that angle is larger than men as they were not exposed earlier in life to discover that it is their interest.
As for race, I see it more as a economic/exposure factor than race. Children who grow up poor are less likely to have home computers to mess around on and develop an interest from. Among my friends' children I've seen a strong divergence in CS interest from those who have an actual desktop/laptop versus those whose only exposure is a gaming console, smart phone, or even tablet.
My take away from these observations are that computer science in schools is important and that low income area schools deserve greater funding than higher income area schools as they have to compensate for the lack of exposure/education the children are likely to receive at home.
The NIDDK was aware of this years ago and had commissioned a feasibility study on creating a storage mechanism that all grant paid research would have to use. Unfortunately after a successful feasibility study the reviewers for the follow up real grant responded with "I do not see the scientific value of this research" and the grant went away with Vanderbilt as the only applicant. I've heard through the vine that someone picked up a new similar grant to work on it, but I haven't seen anything from it yet. The big problem is that researchers do not want to share their unpublished research. From what I've gleamed they want to keep things in their back pocket for future grants/publications.
The site was http://dkcoin.org/
Physician: One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well. -- Ambrose Bierce
