Malcolm King

Malcolm King's father was the first person on their reserve to graduate from university. His example made Malcolm seriously consider following in his footsteps to become a high school teacher. Malcolm took that dream down a different path, and today he teaches pulmonary medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Malcolm is not only a professor, but also a prominent research scientist. His main area of interest is mucus rheology: the study of the flow of mucus in the lungs and other organs. His research focuses on developing treatments for diseases which affect peoples' ability to breathe: diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. Two of the treatments he has developed for chronic lung disease have been patented. He admits that the patents are two of his greatest accomplishments working as a scientist - so far.

Malcolm's passion for science began as a young man. He recalls, "Mr. E.R.S. Hall, my high school chemistry teacher made chemistry interesting, especially [the] lab experiments." After high school, at age 17, Malcolm moved to Hamilton to attend McMaster University where he obtained a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. He then moved to Montreal, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from McGill University in 1973.

Malcolm knows that school can be tough. For him, the hardest part was "setting priorities for work and study." But, he got through it by staying focused on his long-term goals. As someone who knows, he encourages students to "stick with it - there are some really interesting opportunities ahead for Native people." According to Malcolm, "education is an integral part of economic well-being." He adds, "we need to understand how the economy works if we are to control our destiny."

As the Project Leader for the University of Alberta's Aboriginal Health Training Initiative, Malcolm aims at increasing the number of Aboriginal students in medicine, dentistry and related professions. He believes that, "you don't have to give up your native identity when you take up science and engineering", in fact, it can only help with the well being of your community.