Dr. Ames received a B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology. His awards and honors include elected membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award, 1977; Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, 1985; Honda Prize, 1996; Japan Prize, 1997; U. S. National Medal of Science, 1998; American Society for Microbiology Lifetime Achievement Award, 2001; and Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research, 2001.