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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dr. Child examined how modern US military interrogation systems work. Much more than an interpersonal encounter in a dark room, this research showed that US intelligence agencies frequently model interrogation similar to a vast bureaucratic machine that efficiently processes as many sources and as much information as possible. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Hopkins researched historical and structural interactions between politics and classical music. He proposed three foundational ways for classical pianists to integrate political speech and action into their studies and careers, and also commissioned two new piano compositions that each address current political issues. | Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano (DMA) |
| 2021 | Dr. Jansen's research analyzes the absence of women's childbirth as a subject for medieval Christian art. Identifying the visual and textual mechanisms utilized to manipulate gender in the figuring of the Virgin and Christ demonstrates that the visual language of female procreation was displaced onto the male body of the crucified Christ. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Longstaffe studied the history (1960s-1980s) of marginalized women in Downtown Eastside Vancouver. She offers a new view of gendered and racialized poverty, homelessness, and violence, and the efforts of diverse women to resolve these issues. Her work shows that marginalized women were the most effective at finding solutions to their problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2021 | Harmful soot emissions from combustion engines are sensitive to conditions inside the cylinder. Dr. Kheirkhah developed a fast-response method for characterizing the cycle-resolved variation of soot concentration and correlated this with combustion energy, demonstrating the possibility of mitigating emissions by controlling combustion variability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Choi examined the works of modern and contemporary Korean diasporic artists and studied how they were intertwined with the dynamics of the global dispersion of Koreans. Her research accounted for the complexity of these works, and considered the issues that diasporic artists continue to address in the face of globalization and transnationalism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Lefkowich designed and piloted methods for community-based digital storytelling. Using personal reflections, she illustrated how filmmakers and academics normalize, conceal, and defend racism and colonialism as best practices. To disrupt this pattern, she offered story strategies that encourage greater accountability, creativity, and bravery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Soysa examined the shear behavior of sand-silt mixtures through an extensive experimental research program. He developed a new laboratory criterion to assess the seismic resistance of soils. His study advances the current state of knowledge and understanding of the strength and stiffness of soils. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ramzy studied the role that the hormone insulin plays in the development of insulin-producing beta-cells. He examined a gene therapy approach to treat diabetes and subsequently developed a new theory on how beta-cells produce mature insulin. This work revises a decades old dogma and provides insight into new treatment avenues for diabetes. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Huang explores the genomic mechanisms of adaptation. He identified structural changes in the chromosomes of dune-adapted sunflowers and revealed the importance of these changes to facilitating ecological divergence. These discoveries advance our understanding of species' adaptation to different environments and the formation of biodiversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Wong explored inquiry-based learning experiences of Grade 6 English Language Learners in a technology-enhanced classroom. Her results indicated that students were engaged in innovative learning tasks which encouraged them to move their competencies, such as effective internet use, and knowledge, such as grandparent stories, into the classroom. | Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching English as a Second Language (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Twa characterized the pathobiology and sequelae, or consequences, of chromosomal rearrangements in lymphoid neoplasia, which arise from cancerous lymphoid cells. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Gomez studied the structure and dynamics of localized patterns in cellular biology using several new mathematical models, some patterns of which have applications to bulk-membrane processes. The analysis of such patterns provides insights on the phenomena being modeled and contributes to our general understanding of pattern formation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Banta examined the geographies of returning Overseas Filipino Workers and the Philippines' migrant reintegration policy, which she argues is a strategy aimed to transform migrant workers into self-reliant entrepreneurs and investors. She illuminated the need for critical interventions in return migrant policymaking and grassroots organizing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Sweeney Magee researched health behaviours associated with risk and survivorship in colorectal cancer. She identified population groups needing support to make changes to these behaviours, and strategies to best provide this support. Her work will inform future behaviour change intervention design at all stages of the cancer control continuum. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2021 | Many proteins secreted outside of cells are regulated by enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases. Dr. Jobin's research revealed new extracellular roles for intracellular enzymes and how matrix metalloproteinases modulate these roles, and exposed novel biology by tapping into an unknown well of molecules that react with matrix metalloproteinases. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Louie studied the walking recovery process after stroke. He specifically examined the use of robotic exoskeleton technology for clinical stroke rehabilitation. His research informs physical therapy practice and offers guidance on selecting appropriate patients with stroke and treatment parameters for this novel therapeutic technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Lan developed an ion trap to separate and identify atoms through their mass and light emission. His research contributes to understanding whether one of the most mysterious fundamental subatomic particles known as neutrinos behave as their own anti-particles. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Mendler developed a novel reliability-based method to determine the minimum structural damages that can be detected and localized based on ambient structural vibrations. This framework allows engineers to evaluate the performance of existing instrumentation on bridges, and to optimize the sensor placement for earthquake-specific damages | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Sauvé prepared organic semiconductors with novel optical properties and morphologies for potential application in electronic devices and in encryption. He also developed new luminescent dyes for efficient displays and biological imaging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Firmino discovered that during the immune response to cancers, a low oxygen environment develops among B cells that helps fine-tune the B cell immune response. She associated characteristics of the B cell response with overall survival in breast cancer patients. This work may help develop new biomarkers of immune responses in cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Finding and understanding new ways to target cancer is crucial for developing successful treatment strategies. Dr. Wang's research focused on optimizing a new anti-cancer therapy based on a malaria protein that targets unique glycan modifications on cancer. His work provided knowledge that will aid the design of novel drug conjugates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Poor data collection protocols can severely bias statistical methods. Dr. Watson developed elementary space-time statistical methodologies for detecting and mitigating sampling bias. He applied his work to tackle issues in the fields of public health and endangered species conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. DiPucchio developed catalysts based on the element Tantalum to accelerate carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. These resultant catalysts used ureate ligands and displayed reactivity that allowed for making new types of drug-inspired products. Her project has inspired a variety of current and future projects in the Schafer lab." | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Al-Digs developed analytical models and algorithmic methods for operational monitoring and control tasks that ensure reliable and efficient operation of electric power systems. His research will enable real-time detection of disturbances, offer computationally efficient dynamic contingency analysis, and optimize power system asset utilization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |