Doctoral Citations

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
2022 Dr. Ghasemazar developed several methods to increase efficiency of computing systems and reduce data storage required by applications. This research enables applications to run faster and computers to consume less power. It also enables running and accelerating application in mobile devices with limited computation power. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Karamouzian characterized polysubstance use practices among people with opioid use disorder and the increased risk of overdose among certain subgroups of the population. The findings provide practical implications for measuring and addressing polysubstance use in substance use research, clinical decision-making, and policy development. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Ganguly used Drosophila as a model system to systematically classify ~100 variants of the PTEN gene, which have been found in cancer and ASD patients, as pathogenic or benign, using simple, robust experimental assays and examined the effect of these variants on protein function. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Copes-Gerbitz (Raybould) explored the relationship between people, forests, and fire through time in British Columbia. Her research shows that fire has long been an important natural and cultural process but that transformative change is needed to ensure we can all equitably coexist with fire in the future. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Davidson studied how chromium moves through the environment, and the chemical changes that occur in the process. She developed a method to measure chromium in seawater and connected changes in the form of chromium to changes in its isotopic composition, identifying new links to environmental processes through increased detection of chromium. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2022 Ice nucleating substances can initiate ice formations in clouds and affect the properties of clouds and climate. Dr. Xi studied ice nucleating substances sourced from high latitude regions, including biological materials and mineral dust. Her work contributes to our understanding of climate and climate feedback in high latitude regions. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Fritzlan studied elementary mathematics teachers' experiences of relationship with community and place in the Lower Mainland of BC. Her work illuminates practices of developing culturally responsive ways of reaching out to families, examining socio-cultural values embedded in curriculum, and making connections with cyclical patterns of place. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. Evans examined methods to reduce the memory consumption of deep neural network training. He discovered which features are unimportant to network perception, and removed them using hardware and software techniques. This research has broad impacts on the development of new machine learning models. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Gonz√°lez-Espinosa studied the influence of thermal stress and solar radiation on mass coral bleaching patterns globally through numerical models. Furthermore, he demonstrated the value of including driving variables such as cloudiness when examining the fate of coral reefs under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2022 Dr. Tibebu developed the physical fractal diffusion model based on geometric fractal structure of wood. It reveals that the moisture transport phenomenon strongly depends on the fractal dimensions of wood. This research outcomes contributes to improving the wood drying process and boosting bioeconomy development. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Liu studied machine tools used in the machining of metal. He developed both physics-based, and data-driven methods to identify the vibration behavior of such machines, which affects the quality of the manufactured parts. His work benefits the manufacturing industry in the planning and production of high-quality precision parts. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Gagalova studies the genomes of conifers, conifer insect pest and cannabis to find unique markers of evolution. This research looks for genes and features in the genomes to make possible the feature applied research. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Anyeko developed a lived justice theory that is holistic, relational and lived in the everyday by northern Ugandan women who survived wartime sexual violence. Lived justice involves compensation, peaceful co-existence, availability of land and basic needs after war. She adds a new meaning of justice beyond legal definitions. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. Gamlen-Greene studied the population dynamics of two amphibians of conservation concern - the Western Toad and the Northern Red-legged Frog, in Haida Gwaii and southwest BC. She found Haida Gwaii toads are genetically unique and less diverse and may be vulnerable to spreading introduced frogs. Her findings are informing conservation. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Ingham's work involves the development of drugs based on radioactive metal atoms. He synthesized the metal grabbing components that these drugs require and tested them with several radioactive metals. His components were found to wrap around radioactive metals within minutes at room temperature, making radioactive drugs easier to assemble. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Recsky studied the unintended consequences of health information technologies in primary and community care. In partnership with a local health organization, she co-created a process to address technology-related safety concerns. This research advances our understanding of patient safety in the context of technology-supported healthcare. Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
2022 Dr. Bayly studied large protein complexes called polyketide synthases, some of which produce widely-used therapeutics. Dr. Bayly used PKS12 from M. tuberculosis to explore and demonstrate new approaches for engineering these complexes. Her work contributes to ongoing efforts to engineer polyketide synthases to produce new therapeutics. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Christopherson developed novel polymer nanomaterials with biological relevance and subsequently used these polymers to sense the temperature of systems and to visualize cancer cells. Her research illuminated new ways of developing nanoparticles for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Benbow developed a pre-clinical model of migraine headache using monosodium glutamate (MSG). He subsequently applied his model to identify and validate a novel drug target that may be leveraged to treat and prevent migraines in people. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2022 Dr. Wilson-Gerow and collaborators have been developing a quantum-gravity theory. These theories unite the microscopic world, governed by quantum physics, with the macroscopic world that is governed by classical gravitational physics. His main focus is making theoretical predictions for a wave of upcoming, first-ever, quantum gravity experiments. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Snelgrove argues that reconciliation is not possible in this society because self-determination remains subordinate to profit. But just as many of us have reasons to be anti-capitalist, we have reasons to desire a treaty relationship and to participate in a politics that aims at the flourishing of humans and more-than-humans. Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
2022 Dr. Forrest examined the health implications of social networking through an investigation of mental and sexual health outcomes associated with app use among gay and bisexual men. His research findings have implications for public health programming in the digital era. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Rahmani experimentally and mathematically examined the complex fluid flows in the railroad industry. His research resulted in a greatly improved understanding of the industrial process, along with suggestions to further improve the product formulation and application in the railroad industry. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Delaidelli investigated novel mechanisms contributing to the progression of aggressive childhood brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma. His research uncovered new therapeutic vulnerabilities and clinically applicable biomarkers for this disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Werner studied the origin of the orca in popular and scientific discourses. His research highlights the importance of first-hand encounters in shaping the historical representation of the killer whale (1861-1964). This study showcases the possibilities for animal-centered history in the age of mass digitization of historical source material. Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)