bˈɔːɹn ɪn sˈæntə kɹˈuːz, kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, dʒˈɛfɚsən stˈʌdid æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, sˈæntə bˈɑːɹbɚɹə æt ðə kˈɑːlɪdʒ ʌv kɹiːˈeɪɾɪv stˈʌdiz, ænd əbtˈeɪnd hɪz bˌiːˈeɪ məlˈɛkjʊlɚ dʒɪnˈɛɾɪks ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt.
Born in Santa Cruz, California, Jefferson studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara at the College of Creative Studies, and obtained his BA (Molecular Genetics) in 1978.