There are brilliant people in any field from a whole range of belief systems. Frankly, I’m more concerned about the damage to faith done by the large number of stupid Christians on the internet spouting incredibly dumb ideas than I am about the damage done by a handful of brilliant atheists advancing scientific fields.
It’s not your job to prove that anyone else is wrong or convince anyone else you are right. It’s your job to be confident and at peace about what you believe and get out in the world and do something of value because of what you believe. “Defending the faith” is overrated. What counts according to the Bible is treating other people like they are Jesus and responding to real people’s needs with compassion, service, and advocacy.
One reason there are fewer Christians in scientific vocations is because a lot of churches and Christian parents actively discourage young people from pursuing careers in science, thinking science is somehow an enemy of God or a hostile place for Christians. The most intelligent Christian kids are often not being pushed toward STEM careers the way non-religious parents are pushing their most gifted kids. If people want to see more smart Christians in science, they need to encourage smart Christians to study science.