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. Tran studied the genetic factors that contribute to the complex process of wood formation in trees. Understanding the influence of different genes on wood formation will enable the improvement of wood quality for various applications, including the potential for bioethanol production. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Marshall developed a technique to study how human mitochondria trigger cell death. Using this technique, she found new events implicated in cell death as well as unique events triggered during bacterial infection. This work addresses a technical gap in studying the 'powerhouse of the cell' and its control over human cell death. | 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. Muckart examined a series of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Church of England martyr portraits. Her study demonstrates how these prints and paintings emerged from and engaged with early modern conceptualizations of the English nation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Dzal's research focused on the physiological responses of mammals in extreme environments. Looking at newborns and adult mammals, she showed that hibernation may have evolved via retention of newborn traits. Her comparative studies enhance our understanding of the adaptations that permit animals to live in extreme environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sheikhzadeh worked on improving the diagnostic process of cervical cancer. She demonstrated that novel imaging technologies could be employed to reduce unnecessary biopsies and developed algorithms to differentiate between grades of precancerous tissue. Her work will lead to fast and cost-effective diagnosis of this type of cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Koenig explored the process of creating a musical representation of the emotions experienced from the perspective of a child who has become lost. The various emotional stages were transformed into musical ideas, motifs, and phrases for full orchestra. The subsequent work was able to express this narrative without specific program notes. | Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition (DMA) |
| 2018 | Dr. Deeg discovered and characterized several unusual pathogens that infect and kill aquatic microbes: an abundant giant virus and a highly reduced bacteria that infect eukaryotic plankton and a vampire-like bacterial predator of bacteria. His work revealed evolutionary innovations that allow these remarkable pathogens to exploit their hosts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Azizi's research focused on improving decision-making models for diagnostic ultrasound. She explored novel explainable learning methods for prostate cancer detection. The developed technique overlays information about the presence and distribution of cancer on ultrasound images during biopsy and can improve the detection of aggressive disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (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 | Dr. Chen investigated how natural languages vary in expressing temporal and modal information. Through fieldwork on Atayal, an endangered Austronesian language of Taiwan she uncovered new ways in which meaning components can be combined. Her work contributes to modifying current theories and typology and provides valuable language documentation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Former U.S. President Bush once said, "The world is addicted to oil". To address this, Dr. Zhong examined the possibility of making bioethanol from sustainably sourced wood residues as an alternative to oil for transport. Her research advances the industrialization of lignocellulosic bioethanol production. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (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. Yoo investigated new computational methods, based on artificial intelligence, that automatically identify changes in brain images. These changes signify how a patient with neurological disorders may get worse over time. His research will help doctors gain more useful information from each patient's MRI and give personalized treatment for each person. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Forughi developed novel optical measurement methods to quantify moisture content in paper at high spatial and temporal resolution. He used these methods to investigate the effect of different parameters on paper drying, with the goal of improving the energy efficiency of papermaking. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Aijazi examined how people have flourished following natural disasters in the mountainscapes of Northern Pakistan and Kashmir. He highlights the diverse ways his participants sustain themselves despite conditions of violence. He reveals that lived and felt experience are sites of knowledge, and theory is not just about seeing, but also feeling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Teichert examined digital literacy practices of children in their homes before and after kindergarten entry. She found children moved fluidly between digital and non-digital activities during play, but that parents had concerns about their children's use of digital devices and preferred that their children engage in non-digital activities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Wiens examined how psychologists can assess management-level job candidates for problematic personality traits and help organizations predict job performance. He also showed how such problematic traits can hinder manager's workplace relationships and disrupt their leadership effectiveness. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Pan's PhD dissertation is the first detailed study of the effects of long duration earthquakes on the collapse risk of timber buildings. This research is very timely for building developments in southwestern British Columbia. The study is expected to have a significant impact on future building codes for timber structures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kreynes studied how specific cell signalling mechanisms impact a plant's ability to produce flavonoid antioxidants in order to improve our understanding and yield of beneficial phytochemicals. Flavonoids help plants cope with stress, and are components in medicinal plants that can help us treat diseases and live longer healthier lives. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Mehrbod studied how teams work together using state of the art 3D and 4D-modelling technologies during building design. He formalized the coordination processes, identified bottlenecks, and proposed novel design considerations. His results have practical implications for the construction industry, and the software development community. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Bedo studied cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on how children's brains develop the ability to read. His research examined how brain networks coordinate to make reading happen and how this differs in kids who struggle with reading. His research offers insights into how reading programs affect brain development and how this training can be improved. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Brown examined appeals to personal responsibility in public health campaigns. Personal responsibility is essential to public health, but its encouragement also has serious consequences, some of which this research documents. Four case studies illuminate the need for contexts supportive of personal responsibility, to ensure the health of all. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Docot studied the effects of migration in her hometown in the Philippines. She investigated dimensions of everyday life including ritual and the family. By studying lives in labor-exporting communities, headed to migrant-recipient countries like Canada, she argues for the need to push against the deepening inequalities felt in the Global South. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Several microorganisms use elasticity to creep around, evade a predator, and to interact with their environment in fluids. Using mathematical models, Dr. Nasouri examined the effects of elasticity on the behaviors of microorganisms and showed that, indeed, elasticity can play a key role in motion of a cell in fluids. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |