Janina Jeff | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Spelman College (BS) Vanderbilt University (MS, PhD) |
| Awards | ASHG Advocacy Award American Society of Human Genetics (2020) Sound Up Bootcamp Spotify (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Illumina, Inc. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Vanderbilt University |
| Thesis | The Genetics of Quantitative Traits Associated with Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans (2012) |
| Website | In Those Genes Podcast website |
Janina M. Jeff (juh-NEE-nuh; born September 10, 1985) is a US-based geneticist and a senior scientist at Illumina. She is specifically interested in identifying genetic variants that explain disease disparities across populations, as well as science communication. She was the first African American to earn a PhD in Human Genetics at Vanderbilt University.
Jeff is the host and executive producer of In Those Genes, a podcast show that links genetics, African American identity, and Black culture. Jeff is a 2020 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Advocacy Award winner and won the inaugural Spotify Sound-Up Bootcamp in 2018.[1]
In the podcast, Jeff refers to herself as a geneti-“SIS" and a storyteller. Jeff engages her listeners with personal stories and her scientific knowledge. Growing up, Jeff relates that she "asked big questions, set her own course, connected with her community, and then founded work that fit her."[2]
In her younger years she questioned everything and when she didn't know the answer she saw it as a hindrance and now views it as an opportunity. Jeff discusses the ways in which human genome can provide data ultimately- develops treatments for diseases.[3] She focuses on communities that are underrepresented in genetics research, specifically, African American communities.[4]