In this series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.
Who is he?
Emilio Alarcón is a scientist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, with a focus on improving how soft tissue and organs can be healed. He is also an advocate for people with disabilities. A national awards program recently named Alarcón as one of Canada’s top 25 most inspiring immigrants.
How did he get here?
Alarcón came to Ottawa with his family from Chile in 2009 and began working in a postdoctoral position at the University of Ottawa. Alarcón has autism and a learning disability that make it difficult for him to read and write. Coming to Canada allowed him to “find myself again” and “nurture the skills that I was always told weren’t useful,” Alarcón told Capital Current.
What makes him so interesting?
Alarcón began to be more outspoken about disabilities after his son, Alonso, was born with Down syndrome, a hole in his heart and autism. His son pushed him to change the way he sees life, Alarcón says. “I see a lot of myself in him,” he said. He challenges society’s definition of what a disability is, stating that “[it’s] the societal systems and processes that made us disabled.”
Among his academic pursuits, he is dedicated to creating a space for researchers with disabilities at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He attributed his research group’s success to having team members with unique voices and have experienced life in different ways than himself, he said.
What are people saying about him?
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute called him a “champion for increasing diversity,” in academic spaces and biomedicine. The institute praised his scientific breakthroughs and his promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion in his research programs.
What does he do with his ‘spare’ time?
Alarcón enjoys photography. His favourite season to photograph is fall, not only because of the change in colour but because of what it represents to him. “To me it represents the beginning of a new cycle,” he said.
