A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | NID |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Black studied how children and adults detect linguistic patterns in streams of sound. She found that both pre-existing knowledge and factors related to cognitive development, such as executive function, impact this learning process in different ways. This work contributes to our understanding of low-level mechanisms driving language acquisition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Gordon studied the importance of altered cholesterol metabolism in advanced prostate cancer. His work established the critical nature of specific cholesterol metabolism proteins in driving cancer proliferation. These findings will further our understanding of cancer biology and aid in the creation of the next generation of cancer therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Wang showed the functional characterization of proteins involved in secondary cell wall development in plants. She also discovered new functions of ovate family proteins involved in maintaining plant hormone homeostasis and regulating the cotyledon development. Her work helps us understand how plant fibers and wood are formed in nature. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Turan asked why people obey political authorities even when obedience goes against their values or interests. By using a historical analysis, he argues that past authorities engineered the socio-political isolation of their subjects to break rebellious communities into obedient individuals. Current practices of obedience reflect this past. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Chan studied differential equations, refining an existing method and developing new techniques for finding solutions, which, as an application, provides a counter-example in an open problem known as fractional De Giorgi conjecture. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Almehairbi examined how the United Nations Secretariat uses their informal authority to persuade member states to award funds to specific departments. This study enables a more accurate understanding of the strategies of non-state actors within international organisations, as well as how and why international organisations expand over time. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sannan studied the fovea, a region in the retina essential for our central sharp vision. He published novel mutations in patients with abnormal fovea and defined the cellular and molecular cues deriving fovea development in green anoles. The latter has opened a new path of research toward treating the untreatable foveal abnormalities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Using time series of satellite images, Dr. Lu quantified the dynamics between urban green space and socio-economic development within the pan-Pacific region from 1984 to 2012. His interdisciplinary research innovatively applied Earth observation technique, unlocking new ways of studying economy and urbanization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sanjuan studied project management best practices in construction projects and their relationship with project outcomes. He developed an integrated framework of standards to build an assessment tool. Results show that the stronger the adherence to best practices the better the projects' outcomes in terms of scope, cost, time and client satisfaction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Klassen examined how exercise improves recovery after stroke. Her studies investigated the impact of various exercise intensities and doses on walking and functional recovery in the early phase post stroke. This research will greatly contribute to stroke rehabilitation knowledge and maximizing recovery for individuals who have had a stroke. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. McArthur studied neglected viral diseases, looking for better ways to measure viruses and their ability to infect humans. He developed analytic methods targeting dengue, Zika, and Ebola viruses, and applied them to discover new antivirals. His results advance our understanding of these viruses and may lead to a universal virus diagnostic test. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | How do fish transport oxygen in the blood? Dr. Harter's work describes a special mechanism in salmon that enhances oxygen unloading to the exercising muscles. Thus, salmon hearts need to pump less blood, which may be central to their iconic spawning migrations. This mechanism may apply to most fishes, a group that comprises half of all vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Berry developed a new class of organic catalysts, and studied their mechanism of action in detail. These studies will aid in the development of better catalysts and new modes of reactivity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Fagan investigated the ruby and pink sapphire deposits of southwest Greenland. He found that gem corundum forms in unusual mafic-ultramafic rocks that have metamorphosed at high pressure and temperature. This study illuminates the role of recrystallization and hydrous-halide fluids in the formation of coloured gemstone deposits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Fang studied how to use seismic data to create an image of the Earth's interior. He developed a technique to achieve this goal without knowing the original signal characteristics. This technique can help oil and gas industries make better exploration decisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kellman-McFarlane's research focused on cognitive processes associated with Hoarding Disorder. Her doctoral thesis explored the decision-making process that often causes people who hoard to see parting with possessions as distressing and unreasonable. Her work aims to inform the development of improved psychological treatments for hoarding disorder. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Iron is a critical nutritional requirement for bacteria to establish infection. Dr. Verstraete investigated how the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus produces molecules to steal iron from the host. Her work demonstrates the ability of this pathogen to cause disease and opens new avenues for the development of diagnostics and therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Whitfield studied the machinery that drives the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles, the 'transport vans' of the cell. He identified several new components of this machinery, helping us to understand a fundamental cellular trafficking process implicated in a range of neurological and inflammatory diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Poon studied Canadian abstract painting in Toronto in the 1950s. She highlighted the artistic and practical strategies used by Toronto artists to establish themselves as the vanguard of modern painting in Canada. Her research considers the contributions made by Canadian artists towards the international world of modern art at midcentury. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2018 | Road collisions are a severe epidemic that cause the loss of millions of lives. Dr. Ahmed introduced measures of road safety for less-organized traffic environments. He developed evasive action measures to detect road users in close collisions. His research helps practitioners to objectively assess road safety in less-organized traffic environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Chang examined the role of culture in human sexuality. Her research highlighted sexual diversity of minority groups previously assumed to be homogeneous. Findings revealed that mechanisms protecting relationships from infidelity differ between individualistic and collectivist cultures, and demonstrated that unconscious attitudes predict sexual behavior. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. McEwen helped characterize an epigenetic process called DNA methylation. She analyzed thousands of genome-wide DNA profiles ranging from newborns to centenarian-aged individuals. Her work increases our understanding of how methylation changes across the life-course and the potential implications it may have on human longevity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ashby studied the synaptic and cellular mechanisms that contribute to memory formation. Through his research he described a new role for the weakening of connections between brain cells during the memory formation process. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Commodore examined Indigenous doctoral student's journeys to and experiences at a Canadian university. She found that students established success by creating community, maintaining family and cultural connections, and engaging in Indigenous and faculty mentoring programs. These findings inform policy, programs, and student services for Indigenous doctoral students. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Armstrong investigated the presence of plant carbohydrate degrading genes present in terrestrial, aquatic, engineered and host associated environments using functional metagenomic methods. This revealed novel genes and previously uncharacterized modes of degradation and enabled the development of new synthetic tools. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |