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Ajit Varki
Affiliation: UCSD SOM
Professor of Medicine
a1varki@ucsd.edu
Phone: (858) 534-2214
FAX: (858) 534-5611Biography
Ajit Varki received basic training in Physiology, Medicine, Biology, and Biochemistry at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, The University of Nebraska, and Washington University in St. Louis. He also has formal training and certification in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology. He is currently Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center at UCSD. Dr. Varki is Executive Director of the textbook "Essentials of Glycobiology" and has served on the editorial boards of the several journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, The Journal of Clinical Investigation and Glycobiology. He also serves as Coordinator for the multidisciplinary UCSD Project for Explaining the Origin of Humans and is an Affiliate Faculty Member of the Living Links Center of Emory University. Dr. Varki is recipient of a MERIT award from the NIH, and an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Yerkes Primate Center (Emory University). Significant past appointments include: Co-Head, UCSD Division of Hematology-Oncology (1987-89); President of the Society for Glycobiology (1996); Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (1992-97); the Interim Directorship of the UCSD Cancer Center (1996-1997); President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (1998-1999); and Scientific Advisor, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (University of Georgia).
http://cmm.ucsd.edu/Lab_Pages/varki/varkilab/index4.htm
Research Summary
Our research interests are currently focused on a family of sugar molecules called the Sialic Acids, and their roles in biology, evolution and disease. The surfaces of all cells in all organisms are decorated with a dense and complex array of sugar chains. These "glycans" are known to mediate or modulate many biological processes including sub-cellular and cellular trafficking, intercellular adhesion, signaling, and microbial attachment. Much data also indicates their involvement in embryonic development, normal tissue organization, tumor metastasis, and in the interactions of cells with extra-cellular molecules. In recent years, improved technologies have permitted exploration of this new frontier of "Molecular Glycobiology". The Varki lab (directed by Ajit and Nissi Varki) uses these new approaches, along with the traditional tools of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and genomics to investigate selected areas of Glycobiology. The present focus is on the sialic acids, which are found at the outermost position on the glycan chains of all vertebrate cell surfaces and glycoproteins. Currently active projects are relevant to the roles of sialic acids in Viral and Bacterial Infectivity, the Regulation of the Immune Response, the Initiation and Progression of Tumors and Unique Aspects of Human Evolution. We are particularly intrigued to find multiple differences in sialic acid biology between humans and our closest evolutionary cousins, the great apes. These differences are a signature of the multiple cellular and molecular events that occurred during the last few million years of human evolution, and are relevant to understanding several aspects of the current human condition, both in health and disease.
References
©2008 UCSD/Burnham Molecular Pathology Graduate Program