It was a crisp November day in 2017 when I visited Nadine Burke Harris and her husband, Arno, at their San Francisco home. Their space, warm, bright, and full of life, felt like a reflection of Nadine herself, a woman whose calm intensity and compassion illuminate every conversation and interaction.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and deeply influenced by her Jamaican heritage, Nadine Burke Harris grew up with an early curiosity about people, what drives us, what harms us, and ultimately, what heals us. Following medical school at UC Davis and advanced studies in public health at Harvard, Nadine sought a deeper, more holistic understanding of health, one that considered not just symptoms but the invisible wounds carried beneath the surface.
Her pioneering work uncovered a vital, often overlooked truth: the profound physical impact of childhood trauma. She observed that children burdened with early emotional wounds faced higher rates of asthma, heart disease, anxiety, and even autoimmune disorders later in life. Nadine didn’t simply recognize this connection; she became its tireless advocate, bringing it powerfully into the public consciousness with her influential 2014 TEDMED talk, “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime.”
In 2019, California appointed her its first-ever Surgeon General, a groundbreaking role she used to shine a powerful spotlight on the consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), working tirelessly to shift public policy and medical practice toward early intervention and prevention.
Her husband, Arno Harris, complements her dedication with his own, tackling climate change through renewable energy ventures. Together, they embody a shared vision for healthier lives and a healthier world, reinforcing the profound truth that the well-being of people and the planet are deeply interconnected.
Today, Nadine Burke Harris remains an unwavering advocate for compassionate, evidence-based care. Her story reminds us that beneath the complexities of science lies a simple truth: to truly heal, we must first understand.
