Rugadh Vivian McAlister i mBaile Átha Cliath. Chuaigh sé go Coláiste na Tríonóide ó Choláiste Chaisleán Cnucha i 1973. Bhí sé ina reachtaire ar an gCumann Gaelach, áit ar chuir sé drámaí Gaeilge i láthair, chomh maith le drámaí i mBéarla le Players. He once presented a true one-man lunchtime show at Players, doing all the jobs on and off stage. He graduated from Medicine in 1979 and emigrated to Canada 2 years later. Dr. McAlister is a general surgeon at University Hospital in London Ontario and a professor at the University of Western Ontario, where he is director of its Office of Military Academic Medicine. He has published over 200 papers. He has been president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation and the Canadian Organ Replacement Registry. Dr. McAlister served on the council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and was chair of its Region Advisory Committee for Ontario and Nunavut (RAC 3). He was co-editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Surgery from 2013 until 2019. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2008 and served in the Royal Canadian Medical Service until 2019. He deployed overseas several times. Awards received include The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal (2012), the Angus McLachlin chair of surgery (2014); the Canadian Medical Association John McCrae Memorial Medal (2019) and the Canadian Society of Transplantation lifetime achievement award (2019). Dr McAlister was made an officer in the Order of Canada in 2020. A recent presentation to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland can be viewed here.