Although she is a polymer chemist by training, her research aims to understand the influence of chemical architecture on the conformation, properties, and interactions of nucleic acids.

Olson received her bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of Delaware in 1967, with honors and distinction.

Wilma Olson was involved in setting up the nucleic acid database, in collaboration with Helen M. Berman.

She studies the interaction between DNA and structural proteins which do not bind to the nuclear bases, but to the phosphorus-sugar backbone, e.g. histones.

[3] Olson aims to clarify the role of local structure on the overall folding of RNA, for instance the helices and loops in the ribosome.