Ajit Varki is a physician-scientist who is distinguished professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine, founding co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center[1] at theUniversity of California, San Diego (UCSD), and founding co-director of the UCSD/SalkCenter for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA).[2] He is also executive editor of the textbookEssentials of Glycobiology[3] and distinguished visiting professor at theIndian Institute of Technology inMadras and theNational Center for Biological Sciences inBangalore. He is a specialist advisor to theHuman Gene Nomenclature Committee.
Varki went to theBishop Cotton Boys' School,Bangalore, India during which time he was also strongly influenced by his maternal grandfatherPothan Joseph, a famous journalist and founding editor of many Indian newspapers, includingDeccan Herald. He went on to receive basic training in physiology, medicine, biology, and biochemistry at theChristian Medical College, Vellore, continuing to maintain the first rank in his class throughout his schooling. He then did postgraduate training at theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln andWashington University School of Medicine, leading to board certification ininternal medicine,hematology, andoncology. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Stuart Kornfeld in St. Louis, he joined the faculty of UCSD in 1982. Significant past appointments include: associate dean for physician-scientist training,[4] 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 ofPubMed Central (NLM/NIH), and coordinator for the multidisciplinary UCSD Project for Explaining the Origin of Humans.[citation needed]
The research group led by Varki has made many contributions over the last few decades[5] towards understanding the biological roles of the sugar chains or "glycans" found on all vertebrate cell surfaces andglycoproteins. In this field ofGlycobiology, his present focus is on theSialic Acids, which are found at the outermost position on such glycans, and which can be recognized by intrinsic receptors such asSelectins and the Siglecs (which he co-discovered and named as a sub-group of I-typeLectins), and also by the binding proteins of various pathogens. The group studies the significance of these interactions in biology, evolution and disease.[6] A particular focus is on multiple differences in sialic acid biology between humans and our closest evolutionary cousins, thegreat apes. These represent unusual events that occurred duringhuman evolution and are relevant to understanding aspects of human uniqueness in health and disease.[7]
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.[8] He also played a key role in advocating for achimpanzee genome project,[9] while emphasizing the need for ethical treatment of chimpanzees in research.[10] He continues to advocate for and facilitate interactions amongst scientists with interests in explaining the origin of the human species. In this regard, he coined the term "Phenome", in the context of recommending a "Great Ape Phenome Project".[11] While Editor-in-Chief of theJournal of Clinical Investigation, Varki made it the first major biomedical journal to be freely available on the web in 1996, presaging the general "Open Access" movement that came years later.[12] He also created the first viable model for a majorOpen Access textbook, the 2nd. Edition of the textbookEssentials of Glycobiology.[3] Varki 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 a Christmas Carols celebration serving Tandoori goose.
While Editor-in-Chief of theJournal of Clinical Investigation, Varki made it the first major biomedical journal to be freely available on the web in 1996.[13] Varki wrote, "The vexing issue of the day is how to appropriately charge users for this electronic access. The nonprofit nature of the JCI allows consideration of a truly novel solution — not to charge anyone at all!".[14] As executive editor of Essentials of Glycobiology, Varki also made it the first major biomedical textbook that was fully open access.[15]
Varki's group has recently shown that a diet rich in red meat can result in accumulation of a non-human sialic acid molecule called Neu5Gc ("Gc") in the intestines and other tissues. This can allow type of dangerous E.coli toxin to affect the human body.[16] Also, humans develop antibodies against this foreign Gc molecule, increasing the risk of diseases like cancer.[17]
Varki developed an idea proposed in 2005 by the late Danny Brower of the University of Arizona into a theory called Mind Over Reality Transition (MORT) which has been published in two letters[18][19] and two books.[20][21] MORT proposes an evolutionary mechanism to explain the emergence of behaviorally modern humans and some of their unique behaviors, including an extendedtheory of mind and a tendency todeny reality.
Varki is an elected member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences,[22] theInstitute of Medicine,[23] theAmerican Society for Clinical Investigation,[24] and theAssociation of American Physicians. He is recipient of a MERIT award from the NIH,[25] an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award, and the two highest honors in the field ofglycobiology, the Karl Meyer Award of the Society for Glycobiology (2005)[26] and the International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO) Award (2007).[27] He was also elected to serve as president of the Society for Glycobiology (1996),[28] Editor-in-Chief of theJournal of Clinical Investigation (1992–97),[29] and president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (1998–99).[30]
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 more than 90,000 times and he has anh-index of 150.[31]
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