The show is amazing, but to completely understand why the writer and director, Craig Mazin, included some details, like the lady scientist, you need to listen to the HBO podcast about the show with him.

The woman depicts a huge number of scientists who were involved in the whole situation and the decision to make that character female was based on the position of the women in Soviet science, where they weren't a minority like in the western scientific communities. So no, the woman didn't exist, but her character represents all those persons that were real, but couldn't appear in the show, because of the time, production, story etc. limitations.

Do your homework before posting dumb reviews slamming this show for inaccuracy.