Janina Jeff

Dr. Janina M. Jeff is a Human Geneticist and the first African American to graduate with a PhD in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt University. She is currently a Senior Scientist at Illumina, a biotech company that creates technology for companies such as Ancestry.com and 23 & Me. Her research career was focused on population genetics, specifically studying admixed populations (such as descendants with African ancestry) and discovering population specific genetic risk factors of common disease.

Dr. Jeff’s passion, however, is deeply rooted in the community. She is a STEAM-activist, educator, motivational speaker, and a podcaster. She recently was selected as one of three winners (out of 18,000) from Spotify’s Sound-Up Bootcamp for her podcast, “In Those Genes”, which is a science and culture podcast that uses genetics to decode the lost histories of African descended Americans.

Dr. Jeff is also public figure and was featured on the cover of The Network Journal and the Spelman Messenger for her work educating the community on genetics and discussing her career journey. She was also named Top 40 Under 40 Alumna of Spelman College. Janina attributes her success to her “village” which includes her family, friends, and professional colleagues that have supported her over the years.