Harris graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Chemical Engineering. As an undergraduate, his research focused on synthetic biology, and control theory, especially how DNA topology can be used to control gene expression, and guide rational biological design principles. He also conducted research at MIT on CRISPR-based systems for stabilizing gene expression under changing cellular conditions. At Princeton, he hopes to study how biological systems can be measured, modeled, and engineered more predictably, with broader interests in synthetic biology, and dynamical systems. 
Outside of research, Harris enjoys building electronics, reading about history, and exploring the connections between technical and creative work.