At first glance, Dr. Morris Karmazyn, MSc’77, PhD’79, seems like your run-of-the-mill McGill success story.
After earning double degrees at McGill, he dedicated his career to cardiovascular research, becoming a well-known expert in the field of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. The recipient of numerous research awards – including a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Experimental Cardiology and fellowship in the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences – he recently retired as a professor of pharmacology at the University of Western Ontario and continues to publish and consult on research.
Yet if you dig a bit deeper, you’ll find a few surprises: he completed his undergraduate degree through evening courses, drove a cab to make ends meet, and his master’s was obtained at Macdonald Campus, where he was supervised by a poultry researcher. “It was not a traditional route; there were bumps in the road,” says Karmazyn. “But I consider myself fortunate and privileged to go to McGill. Without it I would not have achieved what I did.”
Karmazyn was born in Poland and grew up in Montreal. Both his parents experienced illness in his youth, which had profound effects on him: he had to work to support his family while studying part-time, and he developed an interest in the heart. “My mother had heart disease, which stimulated my interest in understanding the heart disease process.”
It was while searching for a cardiovascular specialist to serve as his master’s supervisor that he received an unexpected response from Macdonald Campus, where Dr. Paul C Laguë invited him to carry out a study assessing the effects of canola oil on the heart. “He was an animal scientist with no experience in heart research, so I had no idea where to start. But he was very supportive, and things worked out well.” Karmazyn still remembers Mac’s beautiful campus and farm-fresh eggs.
Soon he was once again in search of a supervisor, this time for his doctorate. He was accepted at McGill and conducted his research at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal under the supervision of Dr. David F. Horrobin. “He was a brilliant scientist and intellectual. It was an outstanding experience, and a very rewarding time.” He would go on to do postdoctoral work elsewhere, but “there’s something very special about McGill. It was my dream school, and my training there played a big role in my subsequent career.”
That’s why when it came to charitable giving, McGill was top of mind. “I didn’t need much thought. McGill was the natural choice.”
Dr. Karmazyn’s first gift to McGill was made several years ago, when he pledged to leave a legacy gift – a bequest in his will. But he was eager to see the impact, “so I spoke to my financial advisors and decided, ‘Why wait?’ I’d love to see how this will be used while I’m alive.”
You’re investing in one of the top universities in the world.”
The result is the Dr. Morris Karmazyn and Dr. Margaret P. Moffat Fellowship in Cardiovascular Research, named after himself and his late wife, a fellow cardiac researcher with whom he collaborated on 18 publications. Although designated for McGill PhD students pursuing cardiovascular research, the fellowship is open to students from all faculties – reflecting Dr. Karmazyn’s own unique background.
“Heart disease is still the number one killer of Canadians, and there’s still a lot of work to be done in the field. My hope is that it will develop future generations of scientists, and result in some important findings.” The fellowship’s first recipient is Nivetha Kamalavannan Subramaniam, a PhD student in McGill’s Division of Experimental Medicine. “Her research topic is something I don’t know much about, which to me is a positive thing.”
Karmazyn is “very happy” with his decision, and encourages his fellow alumni to support their alma mater. “I have to say that it makes you feel good – to know you’re investing in one of the top universities in the world, and doing something that’s going to benefit people in the future. It’s a very rewarding experience. It’s a no-brainer.”
The title of my Ph.D. thesis project is The pro-atherogenic effects of arsenic and cadmium mixtures. After completing my graduate studies, I would like to make important discoveries in the field of toxicology. My long-term goal is to succeed as a research scientist and to work for the government in the research sector.”
- Nivetha Kamalavannan Subramaniam, Ph.D. student