Convocation May 2011

Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Doctor of Musical Arts

  • Dr. Erik Bert Abbink: "Dr. Abbink researched the role that wind bands have played in the advancement of saxophone performance and education in British Columbia."
  • Dr. Suzanne Snizek: "Dr. Snizek's interdisciplinary research is the first comprehensive study of Germanic musical culture to explore the musical culture created by German and Austrian refugees interned in British camps during WWII. Her research contributes to existing scholarship on internment practice and history, offer ethical and cultural perspectives."

Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology)

  • Dr. Rachel Donkersloot: "Dr. Donkersloot studied gender disparities in the social and spatial mobility of rural youth in an Irish fishing town. Her research focuses on the gendered dimensions of rural youth experience and highlights how the gendered nature of rural space and place differentially shapes young people's attitudes towards home, education and migration."
  • Dr. Kisha Marie Supernant: "Dr Supernant explored the relationship between ancient cultural landscapes, built rock features, and indigenous identities in the Lower Fraser River Canyon. She concluded that archaeological rock features created important places on the landscape where individual and collective identities were negotiated at many scales, both in the past and present."

Doctor of Philosophy (Asian Studies)

  • Dr. Oleg Benesch: "Dr. Benesch examined the creation and development of the Japanese ethic of bushido, or the "way of the samurai." Dr. Benesch argues that bushido is essentially a modern construct that first developed largely as a response to foreign ideas during Japan's modernization process in the late nineteenth century."
  • Dr. Dafna Zur: "Dr. Zur examined the how the child became the focus of contesting ideologies in children's magazines of colonial and post- liberation Korea. She traces the changing notions of national subjectivity in text and images, and also exposes voices that offered an alternative view of the child as a complex individual."
  • Dr. Mary Ngai: "Dr. Ngai studied a Buddhist board game of a gambling nature developed as propaganda in ancient China and similar religious devices found in other Asian countries. She drew new attention to the device's basic didactic function and rediscovered this otherwise unknown cross-border cultural phenomenon that has been neglected by historians."
  • Dr. Yang Liu: "Dr. Liu examined representations of female Daoists in poetic works from the eighth to the twelfth centuries in China. This study contributes to our knowledge of Daoist women and male intellectuals' views about them as well as the social and literary milieus from the Tang to the Song dynasties."
  • Dr. Manneke Budiman: "Dr. Budiman studied the ways in which Indonesian women authors who emerged after the fall of Suharto's New Order in 1998 re-imagine the nation and respond critically to the New Order's ideology of unity. This research revealed that these authors provided new understanding of Indonesian-ness by taking heterogeneity and women's perspectives into account."

Doctor of Philosophy (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

  • Dr. Amanda Starr: "Dr Starr studied proteins that direct the white blood cells in inflammation. By identifying and determining the functional consequences of naturally occurring modifications of these proteins, she proposed a mechanism that promotes the switch from an acute inflammatory response to a chronic response. Her work has implications on our understanding of the progression of diseases including arthritis and cancer."
  • Dr. Graham Hugh Diering: "Synaptic transmission, the process in which cells in the brain communicate with each other, is highly sensitive to changes in local acidity. Dr. Diering's work, which identified a new protein responsible for controlling synaptic pH - the NHE5 sodium proton exchanger - offers new insight into fundamental brain function."
  • Dr. Lindsay Deborah Rogers: "Dr. Rogers has identified human proteins targeted by a specific Salmonella factor termed SopB. These studies have assisted us in understanding how Salmonella bacteria manipulate human cells, and also how human cells respond to infection."
  • Dr. Jenna Louise Riffell: "Dr. Riffell studied a previously uncharacterized cellular response to cancer therapy drugs that block cell division. Using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, she identified chemicals that stimulate this response and showed that this response increases the efficacy of the therapeutic agents. These findings may lead to new approaches to treat cancer."

Doctor of Philosophy (Botany)

  • Dr. Apurva Bhargava: "Dr. Bhargava characterized a protein for its novel role in regulating secondary cell wall formation in a model plant, Arabidopsis. The outcome of his research will contribute to the improvement of ligno-cellulosic material, the source from plant cell walls, required for biofuel development."
  • Dr. Christopher Buschhaus: "Dr. Buschhaus examined the outer waxy surfaces of plants: He discovered several novel wax components and further resolved the spatial arrangement of waxes. He also piloted the manipulation of wax composition to learn how waxes block undesired water loss from plants. Put concisely, Dr. Buschhaus waxed eloquent over bald, incontinent plants"
  • Dr. Isidro Alayon: "Dr Ojeda showed in a group of legumes how bird pollination evolved from plant ancestors which had a bee-pollinated flower. He showed how flower color and petal texture was modified during this transition. His findings provide a framework to further understand the evolution of bird pollination in other plant groups"
  • Dr. Christopher Sears: "Dr. Sears produced a new taxonomic treatment for a complex group of closely related plants in the Sunflower family. By synthesizing classical and contemporary methods of plant systematics, he re-evaluated the taxonomic limits of, and discovered new species in the North American Crepis agamic complex."
  • Dr. Qingning Zeng: "Dr. Zeng studied the biological and molecular functions of MAP kinase cascades in plant development. Her work has expanded the understanding of the regulatory network in controlling plant root architecture and pollen formation."
  • Dr. Natalia Kolosova: "Dr Kolosova studied conifer defense responses to weevil attack and pathogenic blue stain fungi. Her research on the genome level revealed massive responses in conifer trees to these forest health threats and resulted in identifying molecular traits potentially important for conifer disease resistance."

Doctor of Philosophy (Business Administration)

  • Dr. Ravi Prakash Mehta: "Dr. Mehta examined how different types of external rewards can affect creativity in different ways. By modeling the generation, location and movement of ideas in an individual's mental space, he demonstrated that monetary and social rewards can both enhance creativity, but through different cognitive processes. His research not only advances current academic literature but also has practical implications for how, when and why individuals should be compensated to enhance their creativity."
  • Dr. Hangjun Yang: "Dr Yang studied the economic regulation of airports, revenue sharing between airlines and airports, and the impact of strategic customer behavior on channel profits. This research assists us in understanding the vertical relationship in the airline industry, how a congested airport should be regulated, and the benefits of decentralization."

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical and Biological Engineering)

  • Dr. Corinne Hoesli: "Dr Hoesli developed methods to mass-culture pancreatic cells in 3D alginate matrices. These methods could be used to generate insulin-producing cells or protect them from immune rejection, overcoming some of the major hurdles of islet transplantation as a treatment for type 1 diabetes."

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemistry)

  • Dr. Joshua Bates: "Alkenes, such as ethylene or styrene, serve as chemical building blocks for everything from medicines to plastics. In studying phosphorus-containing analogues of alkenes, Dr Bates has discovered unexpected reactivity and developed several new classes of phosphorus compounds"
  • Dr. Christopher Hipolito: "Dr. Hipolito explored the use of chemically functionalized nucleotides in DNA enzymes. The linker length of the chemical augmentations was studied in the context of DNA enzyme activity. Contributions include an improved synthetic route to modified nucleotides and identification of natural enzymes' decreased ability to use modified nucleotides."
  • Dr. Xavier Roy: "Dr. Roy developed new synthetic techniques to fabricate and process nanomaterials composed of metal atoms bridged by organic linkers. By designing molecular building blocks that self-assemble in solution, Dr. Roy was able to prepare metal-organic coordination polymers with previously inaccessible nanostructures and compositions."
  • Dr. Julien Dugal-Tessier: "Dr. Dugal-Tessier designed and synthesized an unprecedented class of chiral ligands based on the phosphaalkene motif. He also showed the practical utility of these ligands by obtaining high selectivities in an organic transformation. His research could fill an important gap in ligand design with applications ranging from the polymer to the pharmaceutical industry."
  • Dr. Matthew Roberts: "Dr. Roberts developed platinum-based materials that undergo reversible changes in their physical properties by shining light on them. These light-switchable materials have potential use as semiconductors in organic electronics."
  • Dr. Qing Peng: "Dr Peng provided direct experimental evidence for the kinetic partitioning mechanism for mechanical folding and unfolding processes of proteins, and made the first direct experimental observation of the tug-of-war during the folding of a mutually exclusive protein. These studies will help to elucidate the protein folding mechanism."
  • Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell: "Dr. Maxwell developed novel tools and strategies for analyzing the composition of complex mixtures by combining electrophoretic separations with mass spectrometry detection. These improved techniques were used to solve to a variety of challenging analytical problems relevant to medical and pharmaceutical research."
  • Dr. Brian Mendelsohn: "Dr. Mendelsohn researched and developed new types of synthetic organic chemical oxidation reactions. He applied these reactions in a novel synthesis of the core of the potent marine natural product tetrodotoxin. These new technologies are aiding scientists in the chemical synthesis of natural products and potential new human drug entities."
  • Dr. Angela Kuchison: "Dr. Kuchison investigated the optical and electronic properties of new metal complexes with conjugated ligands. The metal-conjugated material interactions in these complexes provide valuable knowledge of hybrid materials and insight towards their potential applications in chemical sensing and light-harvesting."
  • Dr. Runchang Liu: "Dr Liu researched the development of architecturally complex photosensitive pigments. He investigated the optical properties of these photosensitizers and discussed the structure-optical relation of these pigments. This work may lead to the development of new anti-cancer drugs."
  • Dr. Qing Miao: "Dr. Miao studied the synthesis of the novel ligands for their use in supramolecular systems. By properly designing the ligands, the metallo-supramolecular complexes can be obtained through self-assembly processes. These complexes have potential application in molecular electronic, host-guest chemistry and gas storage."
  • Dr. Curtis Lam: "Dr Lam synthesized and characterized several non-natural DNA monomers that were subsequently used for the enzyme-mediated synthesis of modified DNA. The modified DNA was then used to discover DNA enzymes for therapeutic and sensor applications."
  • Dr. Shiva Shoai: "Dr. Shoai studied the mechanism of carbon-sulfur bond formation using a rhodium-based catalyst system. The products formed by this catalyst are biologically relevant as potential drug targets for pharmaceutical applications. Dr. Shoai's research lays the foundation for future studies and applications of this catalytic system."
  • Dr. Jennifer Kozak: "Dr. Kozak contributed to the development of environmentally friendly carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions catalytic in platinum, gold or silver salts. These reactions produced nitrogen-containing molecules of significant interest in drug discovery and the pharmaceutical industry. She successfully applied an example of her inventions in the construction of the biological molecule named fawcettidine."

Doctor of Philosophy (Civil Engineering)

  • Dr. Ernest Naesgaard: "During strong earthquakes, shaking soils can behave like liquids and flow. Dr. Naesgaard's study of these phenomena and his development of engineering design procedures and computer models for analysis, will assist in building safer soil structures."
  • Dr. Mohsen Ghafghazi: "Dr. Ghafghazi validated an analytical method for in-situ density measurements of granular soils from the Cone Penetration Test using laboratory and field data. He proposed a new hypothesis to explain particle breakage of granular soils and tested its applicability with laboratory testing of Fraser river sand."
  • Dr. Freddy Pina: "Dr. Pina developed a methodology for the seismic risk assessment and risk reduction of schools in British Columbia. It provides a better understanding of how risk can be deaggregated according to earthquake types and how site conditions can be incorporated in probabilistic risk assessment. His ready-to-use methodology can determine whether or not a retrofit is required for schools."
  • Dr. Karim El-Basyouny: "Dr. El-Basyouny examined predictive road safety models and new methods to analyze the results of safety intervention schemes. Using new techniques, he evaluated traffic safety-based countermeasures, assessing the safety countermeasures apart from site-related factors to generalize on treatment effectiveness and transferability."
  • Dr. Soheil Yavari: "Dr. Yavari studied the seismic behaviour of structural elements of existing reinforced concrete buildings by conducting several large-scale experiments on an earthquake simulator. He provided a better understanding of the interaction of structural members of concrete buildings subjected to earthquakes and proposed a number of refinements to current seismic rehabilitation guidelines."
  • Dr. Maria Sanin: "Dr. Sanin examined the cyclic and post-cyclic behavior of natural silts with low plasticity. She found that liquefaction with sudden loss of strength would not occur in such silts under earthquake loading. Her research work also led to an approach to estimate the settlements due to earthquake."

Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science)

  • Dr. Stelian Coros: "Dr. Coros developed algorithms that couple motion planning with motor control models. Together with physics-based simulation, this approach emulates the processes that give rise to motions in real-life. Applications of this work extend to the fields of character animation, robotics and biomechanics."
  • Dr. Garth Shoemaker: "Dr. Shoemaker developed a new body-centered approach to human computer interaction for use with very large wall displays. Novel interaction techniques make use of virtual body shadows, the sense of proprioception, and social conventions. Experiments produced theoretical models of pointing performance applicable to these devices."
  • Dr. Zvonimir Rakamaric: "Dr Rakamaric developed software analysis techniques and tools aimed to improve software reliability. His contributions are automated, scalable, and precise methods for finding bugs in complex software, such as the Windows or Linux operating systems. His prototype implementation found critical bugs in Windows code."
  • Dr. Dan Li: "Dr Li studied efficient numerical solvers for the time-harmonic Maxwell equations and incompressible magnetohydrodynamic problems. She developed parallel solvers for the Maxwell equations in complex 3D domains. She also proposed a new finite element method for magnetohydrodynamics problems."
  • Dr. Michael Chiang: "Dr. Chiang developed learning algorithms for constructing statistical models about sets of interrelated individuals or objects. This work generalizes many existing approaches, producing accurate predictors for many domains, such as the analysis of document corpora and link prediction in social networks."
  • Dr. Thomas Fritz: "Dr. Fritz tackled problems associated with information overload in software development. He introduced techniques for enabling developers to answer questions from integrated information and to identify relevant information. He demonstrated the efficacy of these approaches through studies with professional developers."
  • Dr. Eric Brochu: "Dr. Brochu showed how statistical optimization techniques can be used to help artists and animators set parameters for complex tools and simulations. The technique uses data from previous users and Machine Learning to anticipate the user's requirements, generating examples for the user to rate according to their own aesthetic criteria."
  • Dr. Ryan Golbeck: "Dr. Golbeck developed techniques for efficient implementation of programming languages that support modern software modularization mechanisms. Such programming languages can be implemented within existing infrastructure and can be as efficient as traditional programming languages."
  • Dr. Brett Cannon: "Dr. Cannon examined resource management and access disparities between desktop applications and web applications.He developed new approaches that minimize technical differences between desktop and web applications, allowing developers to base their choice of application on personal preference rather than technical restrictions."
  • Dr. Shinjiro Sueda: "Dr. Sueda developed a novel framework for the computer simulation of highly-constrained cable-driven systems, with applications in diverse areas such as hand surgery, industrial cranes, and computer animation."

Doctor of Philosophy (Counselling Psychology)

  • Dr. Derrick Klaassen: "Dr. Klaassen investigated how bereaved parents of faith grieved for their deceased children. He found that parents grieved jointly, and that their joint grieving impacted their relationships with each other, the Divine and their deceased child. These findings have implications for grieving theories and grief counselling."
  • Dr. Sharalyn Jordan: "Dr Jordan studied settlement in Canada by refugees seeking protection from homophobic or transphobic persecution. The research explores how social exclusions, stigma, and trauma challenge access to asylum and settlement. She advocated for changes to refugee reforms, presenting to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration."

Doctor of Philosophy (Craniofacial Science)

  • Dr. Yanshuang Xie: "Dr Xie studied the functions of a particular integrin in wound healing. She found that this integrin inhibited keratinocyte proliferation in the epidermis and hair follicles during wound repair possibly via the modulation of epidermal stem cell behavior. This study suggests a manipulation target in the functions of epidermal stem cells."

Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum Studies)

  • Dr. Yuen Sze Michelle Tan: "Dr. Tan investigated Singapore Biology teachers' learning through a "Learning Study Approach" to professional development. Her work revealed the potential of the Learning Study Approach to promote teacher collaboration in overcoming uncertainties associated with curricular and pedagogical reforms and their ability to use learning theories to implement effective biology instruction."
  • Dr. Melanie Dianne Janzen: "Dr. Janzen's study explores teachers' understandings of teacher identity and the implications of these beliefs on teachers' development. Her study illustrates the force of external pressures exerted on teachers, the tensions between external pressures and teachers' personal desires, as well as the ethical and curricular implications of such tensions."
  • Dr. Namsook Jahng: "Dr. Jahng investigated communication relationships during a small group activity in an online course. She developed a model for collaborative learning in small groups and showed how to use the model to analyze communication and assess group collaborations. Her research provides online educators with concrete methods for assessing and facilitating the work of small groups."
  • Dr. Trudy Leigh Bergere: "Dr. Bergere explored how prospective elementary teachers made sense of university science courses. Her research demonstrated the need for teachers to better understand science as a highly tentative, subjective, and socially constructed enterprise and the deleterious effect of ignoring the concept of the 'nature of science' in university curricula."
  • Dr. Anne Marie LaMonde: "Dr. LaMonde demonstrated the important contribution of neuroscience in educational fields through a study on movement, which holds primacy in learning from imitating to creativity. Her interdisciplinary study sheds light on the central role of movement in the human development of cognitive, social, and emotional reasoning."
  • Dr. Gillian Gerhard: "Dr. Gerhard examined how an undergraduate student's identity developed with participation in an interdisciplinary science degree program. Her research provided insight into how university programs enable interdisciplinary learning and foster students' engagement in undergraduate science."

Doctor of Philosophy (Economics)

  • Dr. Marcos Agurto: "Dr. Agurto Adrianzen confirmed the information diffusion role of village social capital during the adoption of improved stove technology in villages in the Peruvian Andes. He also demonstrated that the new stove technology improved women's respiratory health indicators and reduced firewood consumption."
  • Dr. Anirban Mukherjee: "Dr. Mukherjee analyzed the transition of credit institutions from a communal norm-based informal system to a law-based formal system. This study used archival data from early modern England and colonial India to illustrate that geographical mobility plays an important role in this process."
  • Dr. Jonathan Goyette: "Dr. Goyette examines how institutional and market distortions such as corruption and credit constraints drive the misallocation of resources and affect output per worker in less developed countries. This research emphasizes the role of credit constraints as a major impediment to economic growth and welfare."

Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies)

  • Dr. Judith Walker: "Dr. Walker investigated the nature of and reasons behind recent adult literacy policy reform in New Zealand. Her research illuminates how different interest groups, and current and historical policies and political ideologies, came together to form substantive economic and social policy."
  • Dr. Kenneth William Tupper: "Dr. Tupper analyzed Health Canada's policy response to ayahuasca, a traditional indigenous Amazonian medicine, psychoactive substance, and sacrament for the Brazilian Santo Daime religion. His research critiqued the government's attempt to balance competing interests of drug control, criminal justice, public health, and human rights such as religious freedom."
  • Dr. Omar Abdullah: "Dr. Omar examined Islamic education in a multicultural context. His research was a case study on how Islamic educational institutions in Canada negotiate an Islamic worldview and promote Islamic identity within a multicultural society. His findings highlight both the internal challenges and the external pressures that these institution face."

Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

  • Dr. Praveen Kaligineedi: "Dr. Kaligineedi developed techniques to improve the security of the cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks. By designing efficient algorithms to enhance performance, his research adds crucial insights into issues for successful deployment of cognitive radio networks."
  • Dr. Trung Nguyen: "Dr. Nguyen examined the performance limits of communication systems with binary codes and proposed several novel methods to improve their transmission rates. The efficiency of his methods was demonstrated in applications such as wireless and free-space optical communications."
  • Dr. Ian Stavness: "Dr. Stavness developed a state-of-the-art 3D computer model of human jaw and tongue biomechanics. He used the model to investigate the coordination of muscles during chewing and speaking movements. He also analyzed jaw surgery and rehabilitation to illustrate how computer models can be applied in medicine."
  • Dr. Steve Oldridge: "Dr Oldridge developed a model of the computer vision problem of image alignment which allows appropriate image registration algorithms to be automatically selected based purely on the description of the problem conditions. His work is a key contribution towards a larger project which aims to develop problem and user-centric models for all of computer vision."
  • Dr. Anjana Punchihewage: "Dr. Punchihewage developed several novel resource allocation schemes for cognitive radios. The proposed algorithms significantly improve the performance of cognitive radios by providing much higher data rates. These schemes will enable improved spectrum utilization leading to more efficient and cost effective reliable networks."
  • Dr. Usman Ahmed: "Cell phones, game boxes, and large-screen TVs are each built around their own custom-designed logic chips. Dr. Ahmed found that all of these chips can share up to 90% of their design and manufacturing, reducing the cost by a factor of 3 to 10."
  • Dr. Andrew Ulrich Rutgers: "Dr. Rutgers developed techniques for natural Illumination invariant imaging, allowing images to be taken that appear to be substantially free of shadows due to natural illumination, such as the sun. He demonstrated that his techniques improve some important machine vision processes in the presence of strong natural illumination."
  • Dr. Gaurav Bansal: "Dr. Bansal's research will improve the efficiency of scarce radio spectrum by utilizing the available spectrum in an opportunistic manner. He developed mathematical algorithms that allocate resources in an intelligent manner such that transmission data rate is maximized while keeping the harmful interference below a specified threshold."
  • Dr. Jeebak Mitra: "Dr. Mitra proposed and analyzed techniques to minimize interference in next generation communication systems. In particular, advanced signal processing techniques were applied to design low complexity and efficient systems for ubiquitous access. The overall goal of his work was to get us closer to the idea of anytime, anywhere connectivity."
  • Dr. Rod Blaine Foist: "Dr. Foist developed several methods that enhance the quality of data which come from spectroscopic measurements used to study biomolecules, such as DNA. His methods were demonstrated to be generally superior to other popular methods and will benefit researchers in a broad range of disciplines that utilize spectral analyses."

Doctor of Philosophy (English)

  • Dr. Laila Ferreira: "Dr. Ferreira investigated mediations of value in the Romantic literary marketplace. She focused her study on The Keepsake literary annual and gift-book and the contributed works of five now canonical writers. This research opens interpretive possibilities for rethinking how value was understood and practiced in the era."
  • Dr. Noelle Heather Phillips: "Dr. Phillips explored how medieval reading paradigms differ from our own. She analyzed several medieval textual groups using theoretical models based on genealogy and thing-theory, both of which resonate with medieval assumptions about knowledge and identity. These models enhance our understanding of the apparently miscellaneous nature of medieval literature."
  • Dr. Monina Wittfoth: "Dr. Wittfoth examined theories of language associated with sceptical and rhetorical traditions of thought dating back to ancient Greece. Her research uncovered coincident linguistic insights in sceptical-rhetorical theories of language, linguistic-pragmatics, experimental psychology, and cognitive science.These findings have philosophical implications relevant to all areas of linguistically meditated research."
  • Dr. Emel Tastekin: "Dr. Tastekin examined the Qur'anic scholarship of a nineteenth-century German-Jewish scholar of Islam, Abraham Geiger, to uncover connections between the disciplines of Islamic studies and literary studies. She argued that Geiger's representation of Judaism and Islam as the sources of modernity contributed to a cosmopolitan understanding of Europe."
  • Dr. Alyssa Maclean: "Dr. MacLean examined the representation of Canada in nineteenth-century American literature. She recovered antebellum American texts about cross-border movement between Canada and the US and showed that in these texts, the idea of Canada symbolized the fulfillment of the promise of democracy that the US had failed to achieve."
  • Dr. Moberley Luger: "Dr. Luger studied poetry that was written and circulated in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Her dissertation revealed a large and diverse archive of post-9/11 poetry; it demonstrated that poetry, while sometimes considered marginal in contemporary culture, is integral to the ways we understand, mourn, and witness historical trauma."

Doctor of Philosophy (Experimental Medicine)

  • Dr. Babak Shadgan: "Dr. Shadgan developed a noninvasive optical method for monitoring changes in muscle oxygenation and blood flow. This new method will improve speed and accuracy of diagnosis of ischemic conditions in the limb muscles of high-risk patients, leading to improved care for patients and substantial cost savings."
  • Dr. Jun Li: "Dr. Li showed that the tumor suppressor ING4 inhibits melanoma occurrence and growth. ING4 may serve as a predictor for melanoma patient outcome, as well as a novel therapeutic target in melanoma treatment."
  • Dr. Kirk Bergstrom: "Dr. Bergstrom showed that goblet cells, the main mucus-producing cells in the intestinal tract, play a critical role protecting the intestine against pathogenic bacteria. These results highlight a new role for goblet cells in host defense in the gut, and point to them as novel targets for therapy during bacterially-induced intestinal diseases."
  • Dr. Elham Rahmani Neishaboor: "Dr. Rahmani has successfully designed and completed a research project delineating a clinically relevant delivery system for Stratifin in the management of post-burn and post-surgical hypertrophic scarring. The potential clinical applicability of her research is extensive given the personal, social, and financial consequences of burn injuries."
  • Dr. Abdi Ghaffari: "Dr. Ghaffari identified CD13 as a novel surface receptor in skin cells, which upon activation increases protein degradation in wounds. These findings advance our understanding of the wound healing process and provide a new therapeutic target in treatment of post-injury scarring."
  • Dr. Maryam Moussavi: "Dr. Moussavi examined the efficacy of a previously unused oncolytic virus in mouse models of prostate cancer. She found that one strain of this virus was able to selectively infect and destroy tumour cells while sparing normal tissue. This research provides support for the use of the virus as a treatment for prostate cancer."
  • Dr. Sarah Crome: "Dr. Crome examined the development, function and regulation of a novel immune cell population that directs immune responses in health and disease. She provided new research tools and identified novel targets for therapies aimed at preventing harmful immune responses such as transplant rejection and autoimmunity."
  • Dr. Iva Kulic: "Dr Kulic identified RBPJ as a protein that is able to suppress tumor growth. This research shows that RBPJ is inappropriately absent in breast cancer and other cancer types and that loss of this protein aids cancer growth by increasing survival of tumor cells."

Doctor of Philosophy (Food Science)

  • Dr. Xiumin Chen: "Dr. Chen separated and characterized Maillard reaction products with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities from a glucose-lysine model. This study showed that Maillard reaction products could be used to protect against intestinal inflammation."

Doctor of Philosophy (Forestry)

  • Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally: "Dr. Soolanayakanahally studied native balsam poplar trees to understand how they adapt to Canadian temperate and boreal climates. His findings show that balsam poplar can accommodate a diversity of climates, but because of adaptation to different day-lengths at different latitudes, existing populations are restricted in their ability to benefit from climate change."
  • Dr. Saeed Ghafghazi: "Dr. Ghafghazi studied the suitability of using wood pellets as the primary energy source for district heat generation in BC. He showed that despite upstream activities required for production and transportation of wood pellets, it is economically and environmentally advantageous to utilize this emerging energy source in BC when compared with other available options such as natural gas or heat pumps."
  • Dr. Trevor Gareth Jones: "Dr. Jones developed and implemented an ecological mapping methodology, resulting in unprecedented collection of structural and forest species information for the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. The detail and accuracy of resulting maps are critical to addressing pressing environmental concerns, including quantification of rare Garry oak habitat."
  • Dr. Jason Barker: "Dr. Barker examined the role that symbiotic fungi have in facilitating natural forest regeneration after wildfire in interior forests. His results indicated that sufficient resiliency in the fungal community exists to survive losses caused by fire. The research also highlights the importance of conservation of soil organic matter in forests."
  • Dr. Reem Hajjar: "Dr. Hajjar explored power imbalances between governments and forest-dependent communities in Brazil and Mexico. She proposed a strategy for overcoming challenges faced by community forest enterprises, and brought forth the perspective of the local forest user to improve interventions designed by conservation and development agencies."
  • Dr. Pascal Szeftel: "Dr. Szeftel examined the connectivity of water flow between hillslopes, the riparian zone and the stream channel. His research highlights the role of topography in controlling connectivity and implications for predicting streamflow response at different spatial and temporal scales."
  • Dr. Jeremy deWaard: "Dr. deWaard developed a rapid and effective genetic method for monitoring forest insect diversity. He applied this approach in several disturbed ecosystems across British Columbia, including Stanley Park and ponderosa pine forests. His work demonstrates the utility of this novel method for detecting invasive species and assessing forest health."
  • Dr. Sam Coggins: "Dr. Coggins detected mountain pine beetle infestations in British Columbia using remotely sensed imagery that provides fine scale measurements over very large areas. This research enhances our understanding of how infestations initiate and spread, and it provides accurate location information to control infestations before they spread to large areas."
  • Dr. Leah Rathbun: "Dr. Rathbun investigated how multiple treatment interventions across a landscape affect mortality and growth within actively managed stands in a forest. This research provides models created for use in managed forest stands, where variable retention systems may occur, filling a gap in available models on the BC Coast."
  • Dr. Kenneth Byrne: "Dr. Byrne developed a spatial model to predict the uprooting or breaking of individual trees by wind. The model characterizes windthrow dynamics where the loss of trees changes the stability of their surviving neighbours. This was accomplished by using spatial tree lists which can be modified to reflect forest management treatments."
  • Dr. Yue Chen: "Dr. Chen developed an innovative wood building material, box-based cross laminated timber, for use in building floors. As the first research of its kind in North America, her work contributes to the understanding of floor systems for commercial and non-residential applications, particularly in tall and long-span situations where conventional timber framing has limitations."
  • Dr. Sierra Katherine Curtis-McLane: "Dr. McLane examined how climate impacts tree germination, survival and growth. She assessed the potential for whitebark pine, which is endangered in Canada, to grow in locations north of its current range. She also assessed the growth potential of lodgepole pine populations under diverse temperature regimes. This research will help forest professionals and conservationists forecast changes in forest productivity and species survival as temperatures warm."
  • Dr. Marcus Bingham: "Dr. Bingham showed in Douglas-fir how interactions between trees and seedlings that vary with climate are mediated by ectomycorrhizal fungi. Dr. Bingham provides evidence that, rather than being purely competitive, facilitative effects occur simultaneously, and that ectomycorrhizal fungi are largely responsible for the facilitative effects."

Doctor of Philosophy (French)

  • Dr. Marina Lushchenko: "Dr Lushchenko examined the role of mentality and ideology in shaping medieval French attitudes towards and stereotypes about the Turks. She argues that underlying the stereotyping process are cultural values and ideologies of Western feudal society as well as its immediate political objectives."

Doctor of Philosophy (Geography)

  • Dr. Richard James McCleary: "Dr. McCleary developed a procedure to vastly improve maps of stream networks in a complex glaciated landscape by combining high resolution models of the earth's surface with field data. His new maps, which include information on the distribution of fish and erosion processes, have applications for native species conservation and watershed protection."
  • Dr. Joanna Reid: "Dr. Reid described developing practices of grassland conservation in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, British Columbia. This research shows how different social groups -- ranchers, Aboriginal community members, and conservationists -- understand and value grasslands in different ways.The research explores emerging land use compromises and supports cooperation in conservation initiatives."
  • Dr. Heather Frost: "Dr. Frost studied how a group of young Punjabi men from Surrey, British Columbia self-identified and how their identities in turn influenced their educational performances. Her research demonstrates the important role played by family and community in the lives of these young men and contributes to our understanding of the experiences of the Canadian-born children of one of Canada's largest immigrant groups."

Doctor of Philosophy (Geological Sciences)

  • Dr. Ines Nobre Silva: "Dr. Nobre Silva studied the isotopic compositions of basalts from two major hotspot tracks, Hawaii and Ninetyeast Ridge in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, respectively. By carefullly preparing the samples, her analysis was able to identify distinct mantle components intrinsic to their deep mantle sources."
  • Dr. Janina Micko: "Dr Micko examined and defined the geological architecture of the Central Zone alkalic copper-gold porphyry deposit Galore Creek district in northwestern British Columbia. Based on in-depth mineralogical and geochemical studies, she was able to develop an evolutionary model for the deposit and subsequently provide new exploration tools for the mining industry."
  • Dr. Andrea De Stefano: "Dr. De Stefano studied processes of diamond formation in different geodynamic contexts. By analyzing diamonds from Jericho, Nunavut and from Wawa, Ontario in their morphology, nitrogen content, mineral inclusions content and stable isotopes, she contributed to the understanding of the role of subduction and metasomatism in the formation of diamond in the earth's interior."

Doctor of Philosophy (Hispanic Studies)

  • Dr. Julio Karaman: "Dr. Karaman examined the role of Neo-Classicism and Graeco-Roman cultural heritage in shaping social and political institutions in Uruguay in the early nineteenth century. Popular culture contested the aspirations and achievements of the ruling class thus establishing a debate the impact of which still permeates contemporary political and cultural life."

Doctor of Philosophy (History)

  • Dr. Tim Sedo: "Dr. Sedo examined a small Northern Chinese county during the Ming period to provide a new regional alternative to the dominant 'Jiangnan Model' of Late Imperial Chinese studies. In doing so, he provides a new local vantage point to rethink the deeply regional character of the composite Ming realm."

Doctor of Philosophy (Human Development, Learning, and Culture)

  • Dr. Leanna Mary Closson: "Dr. Closson examined how early adolescents vary their aggressive and pro-social behaviours toward different peers. Her study demonstrated that a richer understanding of the complex social processes involved in the early adolescent peer group benefits from identifying the targets of youths' behaviours."
  • Dr. Nicole Catherine: "Dr. Catherine showed how children's supportive relationships with classmates and teachers influence the association between physiological stress and social behaviours. This research illuminates how social experience 'gets under the skin' to influence behavioural development in classroom settings."

Doctor of Philosophy (Human Kinetics)

  • Dr. Justin Davis: "Dr. Davis studied the effects of fear on human postural control. He evoked a sense of fear among volunteers using elevated surface heights and investigated the resultant neurophysiological and postural changes. His findings have the potential to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitative therapies and fall prevention strategies."
  • Dr. Dana Maslovat: "Dr. Maslovat examined how adults learn new movements by studying changes to brain and muscle patterns during physical practice, observation and imagery. These studies have important applications for teaching new movement patterns such as during coaching, rehabilitation and physiotherapy."
  • Dr. Xinguan Yang: "Dr. Yang examined how the Corporate Social Responsibility programs of Olympic sponsors can be mobilized by an Organizing Committee to help achieve the sustainability and legacy goals of the host city. Her study of Vancouver 2010 expands our understanding of sponsor relationship management and the potential for sport events to contribute to community development."
  • Dr. Brendan Cameron: "Dr. Cameron studied how people exposed to an altered visual environment adapt their reaching movements. His research suggests that adaptation is impaired when people are aware that the environment has been changed. These findings help us understand human motor learning and the conditions that might assist it."

Doctor of Philosophy (Human Nutrition)

  • Dr. Lawrence Mroz: "Dr. Mroz explored dietary perceptions and practices of men with prostate cancer and their wives. He found that although masculine food ideals shaped men's diets, complex couple dynamics were also implicated. His research showed that illuminating gender relations can help us better understand men's food and self-health practices."

Doctor of Philosophy (Interdisciplinary Oncology)

  • Dr. Morteza Bashash: "Dr. Bashash studied factors that affect the survival of gastric and esophageal cancer patients. He described the epidemiology of gastric and esophageal cancer incidence and survival for BC and other parts of the world. Additionally, he showed that ethnicity and genetic makeup affects the survival of gastric and esophageal cancer patients."

Doctor of Philosophy (Interdisciplinary Studies)

  • Dr. Jennifer Terpstra: "Dr. Terpstra explored innovation implementation in an interorganization tobacco cessation network using complexity theory. Her research demonstrates the value in using a systems paradigm and qualitative data to study implementation phenomena. The findings of her study can be used to improve tobacco cessation efforts in North America and globally."
  • Dr. Kora DeBeck: "Dr. DeBeck examined street disorder and illicit drug use in Vancouver. Her research provides compelling evidence that structural and environmental level interventions in the areas of housing, employment and supervised drug consumption facilities are likely to significantly reduce street disorder and have a positive influence on public health."
  • Dr. Fabio Cabarcas: "Dr. Cabarcas studied the capacity of small farmers in two Ecuadorian indigenous communities to reduce pesticide environmental health risks. The study described important contextual barriers such as inequitable land distribution, unfavourable market policies, and limited state support. He uncovered local and global mechanisms of health inequities."

Doctor of Philosophy (Language and Literacy Education)

  • Dr. Jodi Streelasky: "Dr. Streelasky investigated the ways urban Aboriginal children utilized wider understandings of literacy. She found that the children's practices were influenced by the technological transformations of the western world, and the locally-derived Indigenous world. This research argues for the relevance of finding a balance between these worlds for Aboriginal children in contemporary classrooms."
  • Dr. Carolyn Thauberger: "Dr. Thauberger examined the needs, supports, and challenges of learning assistance teachers in BC and Saskatchewan with respect to their access to knowledge about reading instruction. Teachers expressed a strong desire for more knowledge and made recommendations about how to enhance expertise in this area."
  • Dr. Samuel Esseh: "Dr. Esseh investigated Africa's scientific publishing practices. He identified new possibilities for digital technologies in strengthening research capacity, improving the quality of research, reducing Africa's isolation from the global scholarly community, and ultimately narrowing the information divide. A Center for the Study of Online Scholarly Publishing in Africa was established."
  • Dr. Don K. Philpot: "Dr. Philpot studied character perception in four children's novels. His conceptual model and descriptive catalogue of narrative structures offer teachers and students in elementary grades resources for exploring the perceptual and psychological experiences of fictional children."

Doctor of Philosophy (Library, Archival and Information Studies)

  • Dr. Lei Zhang: "Dr. Zhang identified the functions of the smallest information units within journal article components, and examined how they can be utilized in journal reading. This research suggested that individual functional units can be organized and presented to benefit readers' information usage of journal articles."

Doctor of Philosophy (Linguistics)

  • Dr. Solveiga Armoskaite: "Root categorization provides an insight into the structure of a language. Dr. Armoskaite explored categorization in Blackfoot (Algonquian) and Lithuanian (Baltic). The distinct paths of categorization revealed that the concept of "category" is a feature driven construct rather than a primitive."
  • Dr. Peter Jacobs: "Dr. Jacobs investigated verbs in the Squamish language with control meanings - like "intentionally" or "accidentally" - and demonstrated that these verbs essentially mark either the beginning or the ending of an event. He argued that control meanings are derived from inferences made about whether the beginning or ending of an event is described."

Doctor of Philosophy (Materials Engineering)

  • Dr. Hamid Azizi-Alizamini: "Dr. Azizi examined designing new microstructures for low-carbon steels suitable for car bodies. He proposed a new approach to refine the structure of these steels resulting in improved properties. These improvements can potentially reduce weight and gas emission in automotives."
  • Dr. Jayant Jain: "Dr. Jayant studied the influence of crystallographic texture, temperature, stress state and precipitates on the deformation behaviour of magnesium alloy. He found that there is a substantial difference between the nature of twinning, slip system activity, work hardening characteristics and texture development as a function of deformation temperature. This research may significantly improve the mechanical behaviour of magnesium alloy."
  • Dr. Leo Colley: "Dr. Colley developed a model to predict the microstructure and strength evolution in an aluminum casting alloy during heat treatment. The model can be used as a tool to optimise industrial heat treatment processes, thereby improving the cost-effectiveness of large-scale production of high-quality lightweight aluminum automotive components."
  • Dr. Lars Rose: "Dr. Rose developed modern clean-energy devices called Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, which produce electricity and heat cleanly and sustainably. During his research, he developed novel materials to improve the lifetime of these clean-energy conversion devices."
  • Dr. David Marechal: "Dr. Marechal investigated the deformation mechanisms of one grade of stainless steel. His experiments clarified the link between mechanical properties and controlled parameters such as grain size, microstructure, deformation state. Finally, his results were used to conceive better model of constitutive laws, a tool widely used in any forming operations."
  • Dr. Berny F. Rivera Vasquez: "Dr. Rivera Vasquez researched ways to improve the dissolution of refractory copper sulfides using wet processes. Combining single-particle electrochemical and microscopic strategies, he identified possible passivation mechanisms and proposed novel techniques to improve copper extraction using different catalysts. The findings provide a path to enable future hydrometallurgical processes for the treatment of arsenic-bearing copper sulfides."

Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)

  • Dr. Karsten Owen Chipeniuk: "Dr. Chipeniuk investigated the quantitative arithmetic properties of relatively dense sets of prime numbers and sets of complex numbers whose elements produce a small number of pair-wise products. This research helps us to understand the intimate connection between arithmetic and geometric structure."

Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering)

  • Dr. James D. Johnston: "Dr. Johnston developed an imaging tool to measure bone properties in people living with osteoarthritis, a debilitating joint disease. This new tool can be used in future research to clarify the role of bone in osteoarthritis development, which could improve early disease detection and treatment."
  • Dr. Abdolreza Rashidi Mohammadi: "Dr. Rashidi developed inexpensive miniature sensors that travel through pulping digesters and monitor the process within them. He also developed a new coating system to protect the sensors against the harsh environment of the digesters. These sensors help papermakers from around the world design and optimize pulping digesters."
  • Dr. Mohammad Seraj: "Dr. Seraj studied the use of water jets for cooling metal plates. In large industrial-scale experiments, he investigated the effect of parameters like jet velocity and number of jets on cooling efficiency. Many numerical models of jet flow conditions were conducted to find suitable turbulent models for industrial water jets."
  • Dr. Emily McWalter: "Dr. McWalter developed an imaging method to study three-dimensional motion of the kneecap in individuals with osteoarthritis. Using this method, she showed that current bracing strategies are not effective at correcting abnormal patellar motion in this population. This work will help to improve treatment strategies for patellar osteoarthritis."
  • Dr. Konstantin Pougatch: "Dr. Pougatch developed mathematical models and computer codes to simulate complex multiphase flows. He applied these models to a bitumen upgrading process to better understand liquid distribution in the reactor and jet-particle interactions, and to optimize the design of nozzle injectors with gas assisted atomization."
  • Dr. Ehsan Azadi Yazdi: "Dr. Azadi developed three novel controller design methods that can significantly improve the performance of control systems. He showed that these methods outperform the conventional controller design methods in various industrial and academic control systems."
  • Dr. Guiping Zou: "Dr. Zou developed an integrated model for force prediction in peripheral milling operations. His research on cutting force prediction established innovative approaches to the difficulties in milling relating to edge force, entry and exit effect, and surface slope."
  • Dr. James Saunders: "Dr. Saunders developed a non-contact optical diagnostic technique to analyze gas composition in reacting flows. Using this technique it was possible to observe the gaseous reactions of methane/steam reformation at high temperatures. The tools that Dr. Saunders has developed have applications in solid oxide fuel cell research and development."

Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Genetics)

  • Dr. Victor Jensen: "Dr. Jensen identified the mutated gene responsible for causing olfactory and developmental disorder in a strain of C. elegans. This gene is required for proper signaling in sensory neurons, and may be disrupted in human diseases."

Doctor of Philosophy (Microbiology and Immunology)

  • Dr. Lisa Osborne: "Dr. Osborne's thesis work showed that blocking a single pathway induced by interleukin-7, a critical T cell growth factor, allowed T cells to develop, mature, and clear a bacterial infection, but prevented T cell tumor growth. This work will impact the design of IL-7-related cancer therapies."
  • Dr. Matthias Fischer: "Dr. Fischer studied the genome of the giant virus CroV, which infects marine zooplankton. He also discovered a virus of this virus, a so-called virophage, and showed that its genome is related to mobile genetic elements that are found in many organisms."
  • Dr. Linda Rehaume: "Dr. Rehaume analyzed the genomic complexity and expression in mice of intestinal defensins, which are peptides involved in innate defences in the gut, and developed a murine model of intestinal inflammation. These studies strengthen our understanding of the murine defensin repertoire and enable studies of intestinal immunity."
  • Dr. Kristopher John Shelswell: "Dr. Shelswell studied movement in bacterial cells on solid surfaces. He described the first evidence of motility without a flagellum in a large class of bacteria, and showed how bacteria respond as a coordinated group to signals in their surroundings. This research improves our understanding off bacterial cell activity in our environment."
  • Dr. Anson Chan: "Dr. Chan examined the molecular mechanisms by which the human pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and uropathogenic E. coli acquire iron, an essential nutrient. This research reveals how these organisms persist within an iron-limited host environment and provide potential avenues for therapeutic development."
  • Dr. Kaan Biron: "Dr. Biron examined how the blood vessels that feed the brain become damaged during Alzheimer's disease. Understanding how this damage occurs will allow for the development of future treatments for this disease."
  • Dr. Ellen Arena: "Dr. Arena was the first to fully characterize a bacterial infection of the gallbladder. Her work led to the development of an in vivo epithelial cell infection model, used to identify novel phenotypes for Salmonella virulence factors. This discovery provides a new tool for investigations into the cell biology of Salmonella infection within."
  • Dr. Maya Chikako Poffenberger: "Dr. Poffenberger examined the role of immune genes in virus-induced autoimmune heart disease development and severity. Additionally, Dr. Poffenberger identified regions of the genome that contain genes conferring susceptibility to virus-induced autoimmune heart disease. This research will aid in the identification and treatment of heart disease patients."
  • Dr. Sara Wilcox: "Dr. Wilcox showed that the presence of a functional protein is required for survival past the blastocyst stage of development and that this protein is important in regulating immune responses. These studies provide further insight into how immune responses are controlled and may provide a target for autoimmune disease drug therapy."

Doctor of Philosophy (Mining Engineering)

  • Dr. Janis Shandro: "Using quantitative and qualitative methods, Dr. Shandro's research demonstrated that British Columbia mining communities face unique challenges related to the economic mining cycle, including: population fluctuations, economic dependency and vulnerability, increases in disease rates, equal employment and income opportunities for women, and strains to health service delivery."
  • Dr. Persio Rosario: "Dr. Rosario developed an innovative high-pressure-grinding-roll circuit for metal mining. He demonstrated the circuit's potential for significant energy savings and thus a more sustainable way to process hard-rock for the liberation of valuable minerals."

Doctor of Philosophy (Music)

  • Dr. Rebecca Simpson-Litke: "Dr. Simpson-Litke provided a detailed exploration of the theoretical structures, compositional possibilities, and musical effects of Olivier Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transpositions. Taking the composer's own writings as her point of departure, she revealed the richness of his modal music by examining it from three different but interrelated analytical perspectives."
  • Dr. Robin Elizabeth Sturton Attas: "Dr. Attas showed that the analysis of meter as an in-time experience in groove-based popular music can help define genres of music such as Motown and disco, understand compositional techniques found in a range of genres, and describe listeners' and dancers' experiences in a very specific way."

Doctor of Philosophy (Neuroscience)

  • Dr. Pamela Arstikaitis: "Dr. Arstikaitis examined nerve cells that communicate at specialized physical contacts in the brain, called "synapses". Since synaptic deficiencies can be linked to neurological disorders such as autism, her research may lead to a better understanding of these diseases and, ultimately, to the development of effective treatments."
  • Dr. Shannon MacLean: "Dr. MacLean used noninvasive recordings of human brain activity to study the processing of auditory information in the cerebral cortex. She showed that sensory and executive cortical regions cooperate during the detection of changes to ongoing acoustic patterns. Her work furthers our understanding of the network nature of human brain function."

Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing)

  • Dr. Reem Ali: "Dr. Ali studied the nighttime awakening of premature infants. Emotionally anxious mothers who were overly involved in settling their infants to sleep faced frequent awakenings of relatively long duration. The situation provoked greater parental involvement in resettling for sleep. Parents need guidance in modulating their behavior to facilitate the regulation of their infants' sleep."

Doctor of Philosophy (Oceanography)

  • Dr. Jennifer Jackson: "Dr. Jackson examined how the near-surface waters in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean, changed from 1993-2009. This was a period of rapid warming and Dr Jackson showed that heat from the sun became trapped year-round in the Canada Basin. This heat could then be used to melt ice through winter and can partially explain why sea ice has melted so rapidly."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

  • Dr. Guang Gao: "Dr. Gao demonstrated the importance of a protein degradation pathway in the replication process of a virus. Blocking this pathway can decrease inflammation of the heart muscle caused by viral infection in mice."
  • Dr. Darrell Bessette: "Dr. Bessette investigated the role of a protein tyrosine phosphatase in regulating cell signaling and prostate cancer. He found that expression of this protein promoted prostate cancer and may be a valuable biomarker for prostate cancer aggressiveness."
  • Dr. Peter Werner Schutz: "Dr. Schutz examined the potential of ketone bodies, an energy substrate alternative to glucose, to protect the developing brain from injury during hypoglycemia. These studies help us in designing better and preemptive treatment strategies for children at risk of repeated episodes of hypoglycemia."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

  • Dr. Akhlaq Waheed Hakim: "Dr. Hakim demonstrated that jaw injections of the protein Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha induced muscle pain through peripheral mechanisms without causing muscle damage. It was also found that this muscle sensitisation is mediated, in part, by increased levels of prostaglandin E2. These findings could be used to develop models of human jaw muscle pain."
  • Dr. Ripen Misri: "Dr. Misri developed an imaging agent comprised of magnetic nanoparticles and radioactive antibodies for imaging cancers with SPECT and MRI. Such an imaging agent has application in the early detection and monitoring of mesotheliomas, pancreatic and ovarian cancers."
  • Dr. Nilesh Patankar: "Dr. Patankar is helping to fight recurrent ovarian cancer. He demonstrated the benefit of incorporating the anti-cancer drug topotecan into lipid nanoparticles in order to improve its activity either as a stand-alone therapy or in combination with an existing formulation of doxorubicin which is already approved for use in patients."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacology and Therapeutics)

  • Dr. Koen Raedschelders: "Dr. Raedschelders investigated the influence of general anesthetics on oxidative injury during heart surgery. This research provides insight into the damage that the heart sustains during the course of these operations."

Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy)

  • Dr. James Kelleher: "Dr. Kelleher studied Hume's theory of belief and judgment. Although Hume's belief theory has long been analyzed in term of force and liveliness, Dr. Kelleher argues that recognizing the central role of feeling and affect will enable us to better understand crucial aspects of Hume's moral and aesthetic theories, as well as his epistemology."

Doctor of Philosophy (Physics)

  • Dr. Justin Malecki: "Dr. Malecki elucidated the mysterious way in which quantum interference influences the magnetic screening of semiconductor quantum dots at low temperatures. The insights provided by this work will prove invaluable in the development of new nanotechnological devices with possible applications in the burgeoning field of quantum healing."
  • Dr. Jason Donald Thompson: "Dr. Thompson developed a novel method for extracting low abundance sequences of DNA from samples contaminated by a large amount of background DNA. This method provides a solution to the 'needle in a haystack' problem of detecting low abundance DNA in applications ranging from forensics, to early cancer detection."
  • Dr. Lara Thompson: "Dr. Thompson explored the long standing problem of deriving the effective dynamics of a quantum vortex, establishing the equation of motion that describes an isolated 2d vortex at low temperatures in superfluid helium. Her work consolidated the results of several approaches to such a derivation and considered in depth the limitations of various results. She suggested adaptions of her work to magnetic systems in which the controversial results of her thesis can be experimentally verified."
  • Dr. Thomas Pfrommer: "Dr. Pfrommer studied dynamics in the sodium layer, located in the mesosphere, to improve next-generation astronomical telescope designs, in particular adaptive optics instrumentation. Additionally, he examined turbulence in the ground layer of the atmosphere at various existing and potential astronomical sites, including the Canadian High Arctic."
  • Dr. Sergei Slobodov: "Dr. Slobodov investigated the consequences of dimensionally reducing space-times with rotational symmetry. This is a useful technique for simplifying a variety of problems in general relativity, including the numerical simulation of head-on black hole collisions. He found that reduced space-times tend to have singularities, negative energy and faster-than-light matter flows, complicating numerical simulations."
  • Dr. Bayo Y. H. Lau: "Dr. Lau contributed to the description of some solids whose anomalous properties remain unexplained by established theories. New insights into the oxide high-temperature superconductors were gained by a new model and a new numerical approach which allowed commodity processors to solve several problems previously unsolvable even with supercomputers."
  • Dr. Shirin Hadizadeh: "Dr. Hadizadeh developed a theory that describes the statistics of the protein folding and polymer collapse processes. Her theory was used to study the effect of dense cellular environment on the folding of proteins whose proper function is essential for life."

Doctor of Philosophy (Planning)

  • Dr. Janice Barry: "Dr. Barry explored the interface between land use planning and Aboriginal reconciliation by studying the evolution of a government-to-government relationship in BC's Central Coast. Her work contributes to institutional planning theory by offering new conceptual and methodological tools for examining the strategic importance of macro and micro-level processes and politics."
  • Dr. Ugo Lachapelle: "Dr. Lachapelle showed that the health benefits associated with walking more frequently are accrued by all transit users, whether transit use is a lifestyle choice, or a consequence of not owning a car. Considering walking in public transportation planning may improve population health, enhance access, and strengthen transit infrastructure delivery."
  • Dr. Leslie Shieh: "Dr. Shieh studied neighbourhood-based governance in China. As cities wrestle with pressing social issues, her work shows how the grass roots organize themselves and how they are regulated by the state. Her research contributes to the broader planning discourse on the role of community building in the governance of an urbanizing society."

Doctor of Philosophy (Plant Science)

  • Dr. Nora Afsaneh Foroud: "Dr. Foroud studied a fungal disease of wheat known as Fusarium Head Blight. She contributed to the understanding of mechanisms of disease resistance by oserving that different molecular mechanisms of resistance are conferred in different genetic backgrounds. This knowledge will help breeders to select better resistance for wheat farmers."

Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science)

  • Dr. David Seekings: "Dr. Seekings used an "ethics of care" approach to examine global health aid. Building from the current practices of major donors, he demonstrated how a care approach creates a more responsive and engaging method of developing aid policy that has the potential to better meet the needs of target communities."
  • Dr. Netina Tan: "Dr. Tan investigated the sources of hegemonic party resilience in the era of democracy. She examined the conditions under which elites unite and oppositions succeed or fail to form credible alternatives in Singapore and Taiwan. She found that regimes that invest in institutions and are selective in restricting civil and political liberties are more persistent."
  • Dr. James Clark Gillies: "Dr. Gillies studied the role of American presidential advisers in the fiscal policy-making process of the contemporary White House. He subsequently developed a theory of presidential adviser selection and argues for presidents to strongly consider the benefits of mixed adviser sets to guard against being captured by a particular type of thinking."
  • Dr. Sarah Xanthe Pemberton: "Dr. Pemberton analyzed the relevance of Michel Foucault's work to contemporary prisons in the UK and US. Her research showed that recent criminal justice policies have increased inequality. She also identified the gendered and racialized biases in these criminal justice systems that were overlooked by Foucault."

Doctor of Philosophy (Population and Public Health)

  • Dr. Meghan Lesley Winters: "Dr. Winters looked at the influence of the built environment on decisions to travel by bicycle. Her findings highlight the importance of urban design, specifically the provision of high quality cycling facilities, to support healthy travel."
  • Dr. Francois Dionne: "Dr. Dionne's research focused on barriers to the use of formal priority-setting processes in healthcare management. The key finding was that the determination and communication of acceptable service reductions, at the outset of process implementation, can neutralize organizational incentives that are the most significant barriers."
  • Dr. M. Anne Harris: "Dr. Harris tested the relationship between exposure to whole body vibration at work and Parkinson's disease. Her study was the first to examine this question and found that high-intensity vibration exposure was associated with increased disease risk. These findings support future work on the role of vibration as a possible cause of Parkinson's disease."

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

  • Dr. Dilys Leung: "Dr. Leung explored how infants learn proper names and common nouns. She found evidence that 16- and 17-month-olds interpret novel words for people as names but interpret the same words for artifacts as nouns. The findings shed light on how infants learn the word categories of their native language."

Doctor of Philosophy (Rehabilitation Sciences)

  • Dr. Paula Rushton: "Dr. Rushton developed WheelCon-M, a test to assess people's confidence in using a manual wheelchair. She conducted a four-phase, multi-site, mixed-methods study to develop and validate this new measure. WheelCon-M will be used clinically to identify individuals who would benefit from targeted interventions to improve their confidence with wheelchair use."
  • Dr. Bubblepreet Kaur Randhawa: "Dr. Randhawa showed that brain stimulation at 5 Hz is beneficial, at least in the short-term, in people with Parkinson Disease. Brain stimulation improved accuracy, handwriting and brain activity in people suffering from Parkinson Disease. This thesis contributes to future research for the development of brain stimulation as a therapeutic option for Parkinson Disease patients."

Doctor of Philosophy (Reproductive and Developmental Sciences)

  • Dr. Jiadi Wen: "Dr. Wen studied a recently-discovered gene family of metalloproteinases, with a focus on their function and regulation in human endometrial physiology and pathology. The results support the idea that these genes could be useful prognostic biomarkers of recurrent pregnancy loss and endometrial cancer."
  • Dr. Fang (Cindy) Xie: "Dr. Xie investigated the immunology and genetic basis of preeclampsia. Translational and clinical applications include evaluation of chronic infection and immune mechanisms in the different onset disorder, and examination of genetic variations that may increase disease susceptibility. Her work has potential clinical implication and aid identification of novel therapeutic targets."
  • Dr. Song Ling Poon: "Dr. Poon delineated the molecular regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in ovarian cancer and verified the role of this peptide hormone in this disease. Her study provides insights into the progression of ovarian cancer and the development of new therapeutic strategies."
  • Dr. Junling Chen: "Dr. Chen discovered that gonadotropin-releasing hormones activate estrogen and progesterone receptors in a ligand-independent manner in mouse pituitary cells. This influences the gonadotropic hormone levels before ovulation. Dr Chen's findings may help us understand the human menstrual cycle."

Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)

  • Dr. Conor Reynolds: "Dr. Reynolds assessed the effectiveness of strategies to reduce pollution from vehicles in India. His thesis used laboratory studies, surveys and integrated models to examine the impacts of converting Delhi's public transportation fleet to natural gas fuel. He showed that engine type affects whether air quality and climate co-benefits are realized."
  • Dr. Divya Varkey: "Dr. Varkey contributed to our understanding of ecosystem carrying capacity, marine protected area design, and strategies for re-building fish populations. She re-emphasized the influence of social, economic, and political factors on the health of marine ecosystems and developed a framework to incorporate ecological effects with the values of multiple stakeholders."

Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science)

  • Dr. Mathew Brown: "Dr. Brown studied the influence of the mountain pine beetle on the carbon, water, and energy balances of lodgepole pine stands. He showed these stands are recovering relatively quickly due to increased photosynthetic capacity of surviving trees and understory vegetation."
  • Dr. Richa Anand: "Dr. Anand showed that beneficial soil bacteria can enter, multiply and function inside the tissues of coniferous trees, promote their growth and provide fixed Nitrogen to these trees. She suggests the use of these bacteria as an environment friendly, sustainable growth promoting treatment for the propagation of coniferous trees."

Doctor of Philosophy (Statistics)

  • Dr. Tao Wang: "Dr. Wang developed multiple imputation methods that have applications to the problem of missing data in multivariate one-sided tests in medical, pharmaceutical and sample survey studies. He applied these methods to studies of mental distress and HIV dynamics."

Doctor of Philosophy (Women's and Gender Studies)

  • Dr. Hui-Ling Lin: "Dr. Lin examines representations of racialized, gendered bodies in films produced by Chinese-Canadian queer women filmmakers. Through interviews and film analysis she shows that these filmmakers represent Chineseness, gender, and sexuality in ways that highlight embodied knowledge, contextualized identities. The research contributes to current debates in postcolonial and sexuality studies."

Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)

  • Dr. Valeria Vergara: "Dr. Vergara examined the function and development of the vocalizations of beluga whales. She identified signals that are important for maintaining contact between mothers and their calves, and evaluated the role of vocal learning in repertoire acquisition. Her study helped identify continuity in vocal communication processes across species."
  • Dr. Daniel Baker: "Dr. Baker examined the physiology of white sturgeon, a primitive fish with ancient origins. Using whole animal, in vivo and in situ approaches, he found that sturgeon exhibit a novel pattern of pH regulation that may be common in primitive fishes and has implications for tolerance to carbon dioxide and vertebrate evolution."
  • Dr. Alistair Blachford: "Dr. Blachford showed that sexual reproduction gains an evolutionary advantage by dampening the good and bad luck had by individuals. He also explained why small mammals diminish their lifetime reproduction during and after a population crash, and how this strategy can be cued from activity of neighbours rather than from the actual mortality agents."
  • Dr. Sarah Cohen: "Dr. Cohen studied the nuclear entry of a poorly characterized group of viruses called parvoviruses. Many viruses must enter the nucleus of the host cell in order to replicate. Dr Cohen discovered that parvoviruses use a unique mechanism involving disruption of the nuclear membranes. Her work may lead to the development of novel antiviral therapies."