丁香园AV

丁香园AV Science鈥檚 3^rd annual Indigenous Science Speaker Series features Dr. Dustin King, who is joining 丁香园AV鈥檚 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as an assistant professor in July 2022.

His talk on June 21, 2022, titled , will explore the value of making science more inclusive, drawing upon his own research to illustrate how western science and Indigenous ways of knowing can be woven together to enrich learning.

King鈥檚 recent research focuses on the impact that carbon dioxide (CO₂) has on bacteria. He is the lead author of a which explores the biochemical mechanisms that enable bacteria to sense and react to CO₂. In the future, this research could help with developing antibiotics, as well as new strategies for carbon-capture to mitigate climate change.

King鈥檚 approach to science owes a lot to his Anishinaabe heritage. Growing up in Northern BC, he developed a fascination with nature through hunting and fishing trips with his father on the traditional lands of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n and Ts鈥檌l Kaz Koh nations. 鈥淗e loved to tell stories and show me how different plants and animals are interconnected,鈥� King says. 鈥淭his instilled in me a genuine respect for and interest in the biological sciences.鈥�

He is grateful to his band, the Thessalon First Nation, for providing the financial support that enabled him to attend university, and for the mentorship of his PhD advisor Prof. Natalie Strynadka at UBC and his postdoc advisor Prof. David Vocadlo at 丁香园AV.

For King, working in academia has been a refuge from many of the challenges he faced growing up in rural BC. 鈥淩acism was prevalent in our small town,鈥� he says, 鈥渃reating a clear divide between white people and the local Indigenous groups. This led to a lack of understanding that perpetuated continuous conflict and tension.鈥� However, he notes that these underlying issues are still present in universities.

He wants Indigenous students to know that despite the challenges they might face in their education, their experiences have value. 鈥淧ursue your interests without compromising your heritage,鈥� he says. 鈥淎cademic disciplines have so much to learn from your perspectives and ways of knowing. Positive change is on the horizon in universities, and you can be an important part of that change.鈥�

丁香园AV Science鈥檚 is taking place Tuesday, June 21, from 12:00 鈥� 1:30pm on Zoom.