Ajit Varki

Ajit Varki is a physician-scientist who is currently distinguished professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine, associate dean for physician-scientist training, co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and co-director of the UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA). He is also executive editor of the textbook "Essentials of Glycobiology" [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=glyco.TOC&depth=2 Essentials of Glycobiology] ] and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He currently serves on the National Chimpanzee Observatory Working Group and is a specialist advisor to the Human Gene Nomenclature Committee.

Honors

Varki is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians. He is recipient of a MERIT award from the NIH, an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award, and the two highest honors in the field of glycobiology, the Karl Meyer Award of the Society for Glycobiology (2005) and the International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO) Award (2007). He was also elected to serve as president of the Society for Glycobiology (1996), Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (1992-97), and president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (1998-99).

Research Interests

The research group lead by Varki has made many contributions over the last few decades towards the understanding the biological roles of the sugar chains or "glycans" found on all vertebrate cell surfaces and glycoproteins. In this field of Glycobiology, his present focus is on the Sialic Acids, which are found at the outermost position on such glycans, and which can be recognized by intrinsic receptors such as Selectins and Siglecs (which he co-discovered and named as a sub-group of I-type Lectins), and also by the binding proteins of various pathogens. The group studies the significance of these interactions in biology, evolution and disease. A particular focus is on multiple differences in sialic acid biology between humans and our closest evolutionary cousins, the great apes. These represent unusual events that occurred during human evolution and are relevant to understanding aspects of human uniqueness in health and disease.

General Interests

Varki has emphasized the key role of Physician-Scientists in the success of the US biomedical enterprise, and advocated for the support and preservation of this track at the national level. He also played a key role in advocating for a chimpanzee genome project, while emphasizing the need for ethical treatment of chimpanzees in research. He continues to advocate for and facilitate interactions amongst scientists with interests in explaining the origin of the human species. In their regard, he coined the term “Phenome”, in the context of recommending a “Great Ape Phenome Project”. He is also very concerned about improving the support systems for women who pursue academic scientific careers, while also wishing to bear children. Varki and his wife Nissi enjoy entertaining, including an annual Christmas Eve celebration serving Tandoori duck.

Education and Biography

Varki went to high school at Bishop Cotton Boys' High School, Bangalore, India and then received basic training in physiology, medicine, biology, and biochemistry at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, maintaining the first rank in his class throughout his schooling. He then did postgraduate training at the University of Nebraska and Washington University in St. Louis, USA, leading to board certification in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Stuart Kornfeld in St. Louis, he joined the faculty of UCSD in 1982. Significant past appointments include: co-head, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCSD (1987-89), the interim directorship of the UCSD Cancer Center (1996-97), scientific advisor to the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (University of Georgia), the Yerkes Primate Center (Emory University), member of the National Advisory Committee of PubMed Central (NLM/NIH), and coordinator for the multidisciplinary UCSD Project for Explaining the Origin of Humans.

Selected references

Beyond his primary research accomplishments, Varki has written many widely cited and influential review articles, commentaries and letters on a variety of topics. Some examples are listed below. His publications have been cited over 16,000 times and he has an h-index of 62. [Citation
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* Varki, A. et al. (2006) Physician-scientists are needed now more than ever. "Nature", 440, 740. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16598232?ordinalpos=35&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Physician-scientists are needed now more than ever] ]
* Varki, A. (2006) Nothing in glycobiology makes sense, except in the light of evolution. "Cell", 126, 841-845. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16959563?ordinalpos=31&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Nothing in glycobiology makes sense, except in the light of evolution] ]
* Varki, A. & Angata, T. (2006) Siglecs--the major subfamily of I-type lectins. "Glycobiology", 16, 1R-27R. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16014749?ordinalpos=47&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumSiglecs-the major subfamily of I-type lectins] ]
* Varki, A. (2007) Glycan-based interactions involving vertebrate sialic-acid-recognizing proteins. "Nature", 446, 1023-1029. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17460663?ordinalpos=23&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Glycan-based interactions involving vertebrate sialic-acid-recognizing proteins] ]
* Crocker, P.R., Paulson, J.C. & Varki, A. (2007) Siglecs and their roles in the immune system. "Nat Rev Immunol", 7, 255-266. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17380156?ordinalpos=26&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Siglecs and their roles in the immune system] ]

ee also

*Glycomics
*Genome

External Links

[http://cmm.ucsd.edu/Lab_Pages/varki/index.html Ajit Varki]
[http://cmm.ucsd.edu/Lab_Pages/varki/varkilab/index4.htm Varki Lab at UCSD]
[http://meded.ucsd.edu/adpst/ Physician-Scientist training program]
[http://grtc.ucsd.edu/ Glycobiology Research and Training Center]

References