Professor Mike Ferguson is Professor of Molecular Parasitology at the University of Dundee and is a leading authority on the biochemistry of complex carbohydrates that decorate the surface of organisms as diverse as yeast, protozoan parasites and mammalian cells. He was the first to elucidate the glycosylphosphatidylinositol structure that anchors proteins such as the variant surface glycoprotein of African trypanosomes involved in immune evasion. He established the Post-Genomics and Molecular Interactions Centre to exploit the wealth of scientific knowledge arising from the genome projects and played a central role in creating The James Black Centre that now houses interdisciplinary and translational research activities in areas such as Type-2 diabetes, Cancer and Tropical Diseases. Professor Ferguson developed a bold and innovative strategy for drug discovery in an academic setting. He was instrumental in securing substantial funding to recruit key personnel and to establish new laboratories for high throughput screening and computational and medicinal chemistry in the James Black Centre. His outstanding research achievements have been recognised by numerous medals and awards including Fellowship of the Royal Society.