Profiles, Interviews & Videos

2023

Sickly sweet: how our sugar-coated cells helped humanity turn illness into evolution, The Guardian | 2023

Herbert Tabor Research Award, ASBMB | 2023

Varki Tabor Research Award Lecture | 2023

Varki Tabor Research Award Marth Introduction | 2023

2022

Varki Seeks Clues in Chimps, Grandmothers and Sialic Acid, 'ASBMB Today' | October 2022

Ajit Varki with Cactus Communications and IndiaBioscience, 'IN CONVERSATION with IGNITE'
Ignite Life Science Foundation | February 2022

2021

Nissi & Ajit Varki Mentioned in Nature's Technology Section
Nature Article | October 2021

Ajit Varki on Denial of Mortality
Aflac Interview | September 2021

2020

2020 Rosalind Kornfeld Award for Lifetime Achievement in Glycobiology

Introduction by Hudson Freeze

Lifetime Achievement Award Lecture by Ajit Varki

SFG 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting | November 2020

How an ancient microbial arms race remodeled human cells

Science | July 2020

Red Meat in Human Evolution: From a Blessing to a Curse?

2019

Royal Experiments on Language Origins
CARTA Symposium: Impact of Early Life Deprivation on Cognition | October 2019 ​

People in Your La Jolla Neighborhood: Meet husband-and-wife UCSD research duo Ajit and Nissi Varki
La Jolla Light | July 2019

The Age of Denial: A Warm Winter
BBC Sounds | March 2019

Comparative Medicine
CARTA Symposium | March 2019

2018

Oral Histories: 50 Years of UC San Diego School of Medicine
UCSD School of Medicine | May 2018

Did Human Reality Denial Breach the Evolutionary Psychological Barrier of Mortality Salience?
Evolutionary Perspectives on Death Conference, Oakland University | April 2018

2017

How are Humans Different from Other Great Apes?
American Academy of Arts & Sciences with CARTA | October 2017

Multiple Genomic Events Altering Hominin Sialic Acid Biology Predated the Common Ancestor of Humans and Neanderthals
CARTA Symposium, YouTube | September 2017

Mind Over Reality Transition: The Evolution of Human Mortality Denial
CARTA Symposium, YouTube | March 2017

UC San Diego To Probe How Humans Became Aware Of Death
KPBS Midday Edition | March 2017

Climate Denial is Human • Hi Res • Low Res
Broadcast Interview with Radio Ecoshock | January 2017

2016

Implications of Anthropogeny for Medicine and Health
CARTA Symposium | October 2016

San Diego Hosts Talks on Evolution and Medicine
KPBS | October 2016

Anthropogeny as an Introduction to the Medical Curriculum
UC San Diego School of Medicine | September 2016

Opening Introductory Lecture to UC San Diego Medical Students
UC San Diego School of Medicine | September 2016

What is Anthropogeny? Implications for Medicine and Health
Del Mar Foundation | September 2016

Common Ground in Science: A Conversation Between a Christian and an Evolutionist
Veritas Forum | May 2016

2015

A Conversation With Ajit Varki
India Alliance | September 2015

Adventures in Anthropogeny: From Molecules to Mind
Arizona State University, Spring Center for Evolution & Medicine Seminars | May 2015

Study: Red Meat Could Cause Cancer
Telemundo Health Report | March 2015

2014

Study: Red Meat More Likley to Cause Cancer in Humans
KUSI Health Report | December 2014

Scientists Coming To San Diego To Talk About Roots Of Human Violence
KPBS Midday Edition | May 2014

2013

Behaviorally Modern Humans: The Origin of Us
Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) | May 2013

2012

Discoveries: Innovations in Research, Health Care and Education
UC San Diego Health Sciences Publication, Volume 3 | Spring 2012

Public Lecture on Adventures in Anthropogeny: Explaining Humans
National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India | February 2012

2011

"Adventures in Anthropogeny" - Exploring the Impact of Sugars on Human Evolution
Griffith University, Institute of Glycomics, Peter Gallagher Memorial Glycomics Lecture | October 2011

"Human-Specific Changes in Siglec Genes"
CARTA Lecture, UC San Diego, Liebow Auditorium| April 2011

The 6th General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Lecture Series
Lecture via YouTube
Bishop Cotton Boy's High School, Bangalore, India | January 2011

"We Need All Possible Human Knowledge About Our Origins"
Deccan Herald| January 2011

2010

Faculty of 1000: Ajit Varki
Faculty of 1000 | December 2010

Science Focus: Ajit Varki
ASBMB Today Newsletter| December 2010

Sialic Acids in Host-Pathogen Interactions: A 500-Million-Year-Old Arms Race
Current Opinion in Host-Pathogen Interactions Conference | September 2010

Rare Gene Glitch a Clue to Genomics Mystery
Wired Science Article in Genetics category | June 2010

"The Evolution of Human Biodiversity and the US Census"
CARTA Lecture, UC San Diego, Garren Auditorium| March 2010

"Getting Closer to the Clinic"
Science Magazine, Careers Blog| February 2010

2009

Ajit Varki: On the origin of maladies
Journal of Experimental Medicine Article in People & Ideas| August 2009

Nifty Fifty Online Profile
San Diego Science Festival - The Science of You! | March 2009

The Impact of Darwin on Understanding Human Evolution and Medicine
A CARTA Darwin's Legacy Lecture Series ANBI Podcast| January 2009

2008

"Disease Differences Between Humans and Other Hominids"
A CARTA Lecture, UC San Diego, Liebow Auditorium| December 2008

Self-experimentation. Eat, drink and be wary: a sugar's sour side
American Association for the Advancement of Science News, 322:659-661 | October 2008

Human Evolution: Details of Being Human
News Feature in Nature, Vol. 454, Nature Publishing Group | July 2008

"The Genetics of Primate Evolution: A Rosetta Stone for Understanding Human Disease"
Evolution Matters: The Diversity of Development, UC San Diego Biological Sciences| April 2008

"The Genetics of Hominid Evolution: A Rosetta Stone for Understanding Human Disease"
The Yale Symposium on Evolution in Health and Disease, New Haven, Connecticut | April 2008

2007

"Keynote: Multiple Genetic Differences in Sialic Acid Biology Between Humans and Great Apes"
Fifth Annual RECOMB Satellite Workshop on Comparative Genomics California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, UCSD | September 2007

2006

"Biomedical and Genetic Differences Between Humans and Great Apes"
Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the NAS, "The New Comparative Biology of Human Nature"| November 2006

Sweet Music
The Scientist, Magazine of the Life Sciences, Volume 20, Issue 9, Page 61 Profile in The Scientist, | September 2006

Ajit Varki: Big Brains are Overrated
The Scientist, Magazine of the Life Sciences, Volume 20, Issue 12, Page 1| December 2006

Ajit Varki: The Fascination of Glycans
The Scientist, Magazine of the Life Sciences, Volume 20, Issue 12, Page 1 | December 2006

Ajit Varki Speaks: Humans vs. Chimps
The Scientist, Magazine of the Life Sciences, Volume 20, Issue 12, Page 1 | December 2006

2005

Science Magazine "2005 Breakthrough of the Year"
American Association for the Advancement of Science | December 2005

2004

Talking with Ajit Varki, M.D.
Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego | Fall 2004

Fermi National Labs: "Genetic Differences Between Great Apes and Humans"
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Colloquium Lectures| March 2004