Jonathan See-Ming Kui was born and raised in Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island, New York. During his tenure at Sachem High School, he worked as a website designer, but eventually focused on molecular genetics as a career. He attended Cornell University, receiving a B.S. in Biological Sciences in 2001, and enrolled in the Watson School of Biological Sciences at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 2002. In October, 2006, he earned his Masters Degree in Biological Sciences.