Jasmine C. Harris

I attribute my success to curiosity, faith, and the foundation my father built in me. My dad, Martin Harris, earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and his master’s in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UCLA. From the time I was small, he nurtured my sense of wonder and taught me how to see the world with both logic and awe.

I still remember the first meteor shower he took me to watch when I was six years old. I asked why it looked like colorful lightning falling from the sky. Very slowly, as my dad explained the elemental properties and the physics behind meteorites and our solar system, a lot of confusion cleared up and turned into curiosity, and that curiosity turned into wonder. I think that is where many scientists are born.
He taught me that science is storytelling through discovery, a dialogue between curiosity and courage. His influence instilled in me the belief that knowledge, when guided by integrity and wonder, becomes one of the purest expressions of light.

The best career advice I ever received actually came in the form of a question. Dr. Scott Atwood, the Principal Investigator of the Atwood Developmental and Cellular Biology
Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, once asked me what I was doing to align myself with the goals I claimed to have academically and scientifically. He explained the kind of work his research lab was doing and invited me to join during my junior year. I already knew I was fascinated by cells. Especially after taking his class D103, cell biology. When I told him I wanted to master the bread and butter of biological science, he said that meant learning molecular and cellular biology in depth. So, when I joined his lab, I started on a cloning project that involved bacterial transformations, DNA isolation, restriction digestion, and colony screening to express protein isoforms. It was the first lab where I wasn’t immediately good at something, and he refused to give me all the answers. That experience was humbling, but it taught me what it truly mea... Ironically, I was not even sure I wanted to study cancer at all. When I was a sophomore in high school, my best friend and teammate Miranda Grace, who played on my sister’s soccer team, passed away from glioblastoma. She was diagnosed in November and gone by January. Truly, the light of the Lord shined through her smile. That loss was devastating, and for years I stayed away from anything related to cancer biology. Very sadly, after Miranda’s passing, I lost six more of my close friends before the age of 18. I did not even know that I was going to be studying cancer biology. Honestly, I thought her death made me inadequate to be a cancer biologist, but really it became a divine calling on my life. What once represented pain has now become purpose. Today, that calling has physically manifested. I am a scientist. I am a cancer biologist.

The biggest challenge that many young women will face is staying aligned in a competitive, often male dominated academic and professional environment. For young Black women especially, I want them to know that your gifts will be doubted, your potential will be dismissed, and at times, your presence will be overlooked. But none of those things define your destiny or limit what God has called you to achieve. There are different forms of hygiene that every young woman in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics must learn to maintain, not just physical hygiene, but spiritual and mental hygiene. Every morning, I wake up early and spend time meditating with the Lord for at least two hours. I read scripture and journal to realign my thoughts with His word. After that, I go to the gym and weight train to support my emotional processing, hormone balance, and mental clarity. This helps me release stress in a POSITIVE way. When I’m finished, I nourish my body and devote time to my dissertation or another intellectually stimulating activity. Sometimes that means practicing math problems I find challenging or reading books that expand my perspective. I believe every woman in science needs a practice that both pushes and humbles her, something that builds mental strength while deepening gratitude and alignment. Protect your peace, feed your spirit, and never forget that your mind is a sacred tool. The balance of body, mind, and soul is not just self care; it is divine preparation for the work God has called you to do. That is how you sustain brilliance without losing your balance.

Our field is at a critical point. The validity of science and the integrity of technology,
mathematics, and engineering are being challenged by misinformation and the growing influence of non empirical thinking. Data can be manipulated, and conclusions politicized, threatening the very structure that allows science to function. The greatest danger we face is not the complexity of the unknown, but the erosion of trust in the process that reveals it. The best thing we can do is remain educated, vigilant, and disciplined in our methodologies.
Research institutions face mounting pressure that threatens funding, reproducibility, and
academic freedom. It is the responsibility of the next generation of scientists to preserve the foundation of the scientific method: reproducibility, transparency, and rigor. Science operates through structure. There are steps to research, and there are corners that cannot be cut. Every experiment must be replicable, every conclusion supported by data and verifiable results. Scientists are not inventors of truth; we are translators of it. Revelation in science is quantitative. It requires evidence, citation, and the courage to follow the data wherever it leads, even when it challenges expectation. That is the integrity of the work, the discipline of being a scientist. My commitment, both to myself and to the women who come after me, is to preserve that standard. Science is not convenience; it is a covenant with truth.

The values that guide me most deeply are integrity, curiosity, collaboration, faith, and transformation. My work and personal life naturally coexist as extensions of my creative and scientific spirit, rooted in healing, innovation, and cultural lineage.

I am fortunate to create alongside a remarkable team that keeps me grounded while expanding my vision. Wavvy Creatiions by Tyler C., my co–creative director, has an intuitive ability to embody my essence from my Earthy Creole Chanel aesthetic to the deeper cultural storytelling that runs through our projects. He reads my color palettes and vision boards like a shared language, and together we craft visuals that honor our African American lineage while reimagining new creative spaces for our people in STEM and the arts. His Atlanta roots are reflected in his keen eye for seeing how to add certain colors, textures, and tones to enhance the canvas of life.

PinnkupKake by Shakela Salaam brings that same energy of excellence through her artistry and precision as a hairstylist. Her attention to detail and originality remind me why I am drawn to “one of one” creators, those who are unseen yet undeniably impactful. And she come to my house, and we eating during braiding breaks, and she’s like the big sister and friend I never had! On Black girl day off when she braided my hair, we had brunch which shows how connected we truly are. A true team.

Both of them are not only collaborators but dear friends, people I pray over and often pray with. Their presence keeps our creative work sacred and aligned. I would not be able to do what I do without them. As Smino said, “forget a plug when the team’s a power strip.” I may serve as the director, but we are all co-creators, each of us illuminating different corners of a shared vision.