What do basketball players such as Allen Iverson and LeBron James have in common with me? We're young African-American males living and working in the United States. How do we differ? They shoot jump shots and slamdunks in the US National Basketball Association, I do HIV research.

Also, unlike me, they are multimillionaires. As I scratch my head at sports salaries, I can't help but think that something must be out of balance.

Perhaps I'm alone in this view. Yet it seems that until crowds of adoring fans flock to our labs to root for us as we do our experiments, and we are greeted by dancing cheerleaders and thunderous applause each time we clone a vital gene, budding postdocs like myself can expect only minimal financial compensation. This harsh reality has affected my outlook and helped me to decide whether to do my postdoc in France or here in the United States (see Nature 427, 762; 2004).

I reckon that, if I'm going to have a low income anyway, I may as well take the opportunity to experience a different culture and live in a foreign country. After all, many say that working abroad is an invaluable experience. I am hopeful that my time in Paris will prove this to be true. Otherwise, I may have to put down my pipettor and start working on my vertical leap.