villa-komaroff was born on august 7, 1947, and grew up in santa fe, new mexico. she was the eldest of six children; her father, john, was a teacher and musician and her mother, drucilla, was a social worker. by the age of nine, villa-komaroff knew that she wanted to be a scientist, influenced in part by her uncle, a chemist. she was also inspired due to her mother's and grandmother's love for both nature and plants.