Women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children not because their performance is devalued or they are shortchanged during interviewing and hiring.

The reality is that most scientists are pretty normal people, at least outside the laboratory setting. There are some unique characteristics that may be more prevalent in the scientific community, and most of those characteristics can contribute positively to the organization.

An interview with Rachel Wilson, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology, Harvard Medical School.