Janina Jeff

Janina M. Jeff (; born September 10,1985) is an American geneticist, a senior scientist at Illumina. She is the host and executive producer of "In Those Genes", a podcast that links genetics, African American identity, and Black culture. She is specifically interested in identifying genetic variants that explain disease disparities across populations, as well as science communication. Jeff is a 2020 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Advocacy Award winner and won the inaugural Spotify Sound-Up Bootcamp in 2018. She was the first African American to earn a PhD in Human Genetics at Vanderbilt University
Early life and education.
Jeff grew up in New Orleans, attended McDonogh 35 Senior High School, and graduated from Spelman College in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. At Spelman she was a RISE (Research Initiative for Science Enhancement) Scholar. She earned a Master’s degree in Applied Statistics in 2011, and a Doctorate in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt University in 2012. She was the first African-American to graduate from Vanderbilt University with a Ph.D. in Human Genetics. She had her postgraduate training at the Center for Human Genetic Research at Vanderbilt University, and also at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Research and career.
Jeff is a Senior Bioinformatics scientist at Illumina where she develops genomic pipelines used in population screening. Her academic research career has focused on population genetics, with an emphasis on admixed populations and genetic risk factors of common diseases.
Public engagement.
Jeff is the host and executive producer of "In Those Genes", a podcast that explores genetics and "the lost identities of African descended Americans through the lens of Black Culture." In 2018 she won the inaugural Spotify Sound Up Bootcamp which provided her with $10,000 to start her podcast. Episode 3, "Skinfolk, Kinfolk," was listed by IndieWire as one of the 50 Best Podcast Episodes of 2020. The episode "Dat Rona," featuring guest medical expert, Ashira Blazer, received the Radio Impact award in 2020 Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition. 