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 a distinguished professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine, Co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center at UCSD and executive editor of the textbook Essentials of Glycobiology. He is also Executive Co-director for the UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, and an Adjunct Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Dr. Varki is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians.