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. Kaldas studied perfectionism in patients. She examined how the need to appear perfect impacted patients' interpersonal relations and the process of group psychotherapy. This work can help inform clinicians on how to better attend to and address perfectionistic patients, allowing them to benefit more from psychotherapy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Carlson developed a simple, scalable method for the rapid stabilization of membrane proteins called the peptidisc. He used the technique to rapidly identify novel and known interactions between membrane proteins in the bacterial cell envelope. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sommerfeld investigated how two specific protein complexes regulate the cell division process in cervical cancer cells. His studies identified novel functions for these protein complexes, and showed how loss of their activities may contribute to uncontrolled cell division and cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Trenaman evaluated patient decision aids, which are tools designed to help patients make better quality health care decisions. He found that patient decision aids for individuals considering total hip and knee replacement improved outcomes and reduced costs. His research will help policy makers invest in cost-effective tools for patient-centred care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Solomonian explored the relationship between culture and photography amongst the shishalh Nation, showing how photography is connected to, and shaped by, place, history, memory, as well as politics and power. This research highlights the importance of family photograph collections to communities, as an often-overlooked aspect of Indigenous visual-material culture. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (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. Fung investigated the potential of using synthetic amino acids for the treatment of pain. His work identified the small molecule, ACBC, as being capable of alleviating responses in various experimental models of pain. These studies assist in the development of much needed new medicines for pain management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Stecula examined the relationship between the news media and political polarization on important topics, like climate change, in the United States. He found that the news is increasingly politicized, and that propels polarization. This has implications for how important topics should be covered by the media to avoid political conflict. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (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 | Dr. Song studied why individuals with Down syndrome inevitably develop Alzheimer's diseases. She discovered a gene overexpressed in Down syndrome that promotes neurodegeneration and supresses neurogenesis. This work provides insights for the development of potential interventions to treat Alzheimer's in Down syndrome by targeting the USP25 gene. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2018 | Soils play a crucial, but often under-estimated, role in the water cycle. Dr. Roa-García analyzed the properties of common soils in the Colombian Andes, and found that nano-particle size minerals increase the ability of these soils to hold and release water. This knowledge informs management practices to optimize water for food and communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Bernhardt addressed longstanding questions about the abundance and distribution of life on Earth. She showed that the temperature-dependence of population dynamics can be predicted from the temperature-dependence of individual metabolism, lending strong support for the role of energetic constraints in governing population growth and abundance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (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. Ahn explored the powerful role images can play in how we perceive the environment and environmental issues. Specifically, she investigated how visual rhetorical modes in environmental documentaries influenced viewers. Her work will further our understanding of how visual rhetoric can engender awareness and a willingness to act in more eco-conscious ways. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (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) |
| 2018 | Dr. Contreras investigated claims of a hemispheric asymmetry of power in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), showing some models can be ruled out with the current data, but very sensitive polarization data are required for many others. He also showed that the CMB is consistent with no parity violation at the tightest precision available with current data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Lay studied individuals' thoughts and emotions when in solitude (without social interaction) across cultures. Far from being an inherently lonely experience, she found motivation, older age, and social resources can help us thrive in solitude. Solitude is a multifaceted part of daily life, and her research reveals ways we may reap its benefits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Silveira studied how the brain allocates cognitive effort for lucrative outcomes. His work identified regions and neurotransmitters that bias organisms to put in mental effort for outcomes they want. Such work sheds light on how these processes may be disrupted in disorders characterized by blunted effort exertion, such as depression and schizophrenia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (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. Elleouet studied spruce populations in Alaska to understand how expanding forests evolve in a changing climate. She found that the trees' long time to maturity and the capacity to disperse pollen across large distances might help these forests keep a healthy level of genetic diversity. She also explored the use of genomic data to infer past demographic changes in natural tree populations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Sepsis is a life-threatening illness. Dr. Arora discovered a novel pharmacological target for sepsis immunotherapy and identified specific substrates, which can be modulated to control the disease prognosis. He also clarified a mechanism to better understand the disease progression. This work will help save 10 million lives every year. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Yang used advanced proteomics techniques to characterize cancer drug resistance, and to study the function of a tumour suppressor protein. These studies further our understanding of protein signalling pathways in cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Viljoen's study looked at creating and comparing trauma-informed behaviour plans to regular behaviour plans for primary school children with a history of adverse childhood experiences. While results were inconclusive, the research suggested trauma-informed practice would be most effective using a school-wide model. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (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) |