Convocation November 2018

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership and Policy)

Dr. Margaret Dorothy Wilson: "Dr. Wilson examined the accessibility, availability, and acceptability of health-related services for urban Indigenous people offered by an urban Aboriginal agency. Her research offers much to culturally responsive health services, Indigenous health policy, and professional health education regarding urban Indigenous people."
Dr. Nora Kathleen Houlahan: "Dr. Houlahan designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated a competency-based program for municipal police recruit training in British Columbia. Recruits trained in this program have a more accurate view of their abilities compared to recruits in a lecture-based program. This program is now standard for municipal police recruit training in BC."
Dr. Dawn Marie Smith: "Based on Nuu-chah-nulth principles and personal experiences of teaching Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in higher education, Dr. Smith explored the collisions that occur between different knowledge systems. She notes that while progress is being made, decolonization and reconciliation require more attention and action from educational leaders."
Dr. Claudius R. Soodeen: "Integrating a global, intercultural dimension into higher education is complex and challenging for institutional leaders. Dr. Soodeen studied college executives' understandings of internationalization and found these understandings to be not fully reflected in policy or practice. He offered recommendations for achieving a more comprehensive internationalization consistent with stated values."

Doctor of Musical Arts (Composition)

Dr. Yota Kobayashi: "Dr. Kobayashi studied musical composition, theory, and technology. In the themes of embodied virtuality and musical affordance, he developed interactive performance systems and generative programs. His thesis piece Forms, for string quartet and computer, represents the dynamic integrity of phenomena that form the universe harmoniously."
Dr. Riley Koenig: "Dr. Koenig explored the process of creating a musical representation of the emotions experienced from the perspective of a child who has become lost. The various emotional stages were transformed into musical ideas, motifs, and phrases for full orchestra. The subsequent work was able to express this narrative without specific program notes."

Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology)

Dr. Dada Brina Docot: "Dr. Docot studied the effects of migration in her hometown in the Philippines. She investigated dimensions of everyday life including ritual and the family. By studying lives in labor-exporting communities, headed to migrant-recipient countries like Canada, she argues for the need to push against the deepening inequalities felt in the Global South."
Dr. Adam Arthur Solomonian: "Dr. Solomonian explored the relationship between culture and photography amongst the shishalh Nation, showing how photography is connected to, and shaped by, place, history, memory, as well as politics and power. This research highlights the importance of family photograph collections to communities, as an often-overlooked aspect of Indigenous visual-material culture."

Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Animal Biology)

Dr. Christine Lynne Sumner: "Dr. Sumner demonstrated that promoting cooperation among dairy farmers and veterinarians can identify shared goals and improve communication across their diverse perspectives in improving calf welfare."

Doctor of Philosophy (Art History)

Dr. Jessica Karman Poon: "Dr. Poon studied Canadian abstract painting in Toronto in the 1950s. She highlighted the artistic and practical strategies used by Toronto artists to establish themselves as the vanguard of modern painting in Canada. Her research considers the contributions made by Canadian artists towards the international world of modern art at midcentury."
Dr. Vanessa Mackenzie Parent: "Dr. Parent studied performance art in Vienna in the 1960s. She considered it to be symptomatic of a collective trauma, rooted in the body, and tied to cultural repression and capitalist exploitation. She argues that feminist actionist Valie Export's work exposed women as the disavowed worker body, which exacerbated fragmented social ties."
Dr. Heather Diane Muckart: "Dr. Muckart examined a series of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Church of England martyr portraits. Her study demonstrates how these prints and paintings emerged from and engaged with early modern conceptualizations of the English nation."
Dr. Kyoung Yong Lee: "Dr. Lee examined the work of American photographers who arranged multiple photographs in sequence beginning in the late 1960s. He then revealed how their work influenced the practice and discourse of photography in France over subsequent decades."
Dr. Gloria Jane Bell: "Dr. Bell studied a missionary exhibition of First Nations art at the Vatican in 1925. Through an analysis of beadwork, statuary, and children's games, Bell presents a new historiography of the mobility of Indigenous visual culture drawing on Indigenous theories. This research illuminates the ongoing confluences of archives and Indigenous histories in Rome."

Doctor of Philosophy (Asian Studies)

Dr. Alexey Lushchenko: "Dr. Lushchenko has shown how medieval historical texts were used to create guides to leadership in seventeenth-century Japan. He examined the content and context of several previously unstudied commentaries that offer advice to rulers on governance and ethics. His findings clarify new aspects of pre-modern statecraft, education, and scholarship."

Doctor of Philosophy (Astronomy)

Dr. Jacob Aaron White: "Dr. White characterized circumstellar disks of gas and debris around distant stars undergoing the late stages of planet formation. He used radio and millimeter wave astronomical data to study the properties of this material and constrain the radio emission of massive stars."

Doctor of Philosophy (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

Dr. Jayesh Kulkarni: "Dr. Kulkarni studied nanoparticles to enable gene therapies for the treatment of liver diseases. Through his research, he overturned the existing paradigm of the structure of these nanoparticles; proposed a novel structure; and re-engineered the nanoparticles for diagnostics and gene therapy applications."
Dr. Vivienne Wai Tung Chan: "Dr. Chan worked on developing ways to enhance the natural function of platelets by loading them with potential drugs, such as clotting factors. These modified platelets may improve the effectiveness of platelet transfusions during uncontrolled bleeding, and platelets loaded with other drugs may also be useful in treating diseases such as cancer."
Dr. Siobhan Meagan Wong King Yuen: "Dr. Wong King Yuen muscled in on the calcium channels, which play a crucial role in skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction. Her research characterized a novel interaction between an adaptor protein and the voltage-gated calcium channel. This work furthers our understanding of how an electrical action potential is converted into muscle contraction."
Dr. Michael Luke Carlson: "Dr. Carlson developed a simple, scalable method for the rapid stabilization of membrane proteins called the peptidisc. He used the technique to rapidly identify novel and known interactions between membrane proteins in the bacterial cell envelope."
Dr. Shawn Tamajka Whitfield: "Dr. Whitfield studied the machinery that drives the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles, the 'transport vans' of the cell. He identified several new components of this machinery, helping us to understand a fundamental cellular trafficking process implicated in a range of neurological and inflammatory diseases."
Dr. Savrina Manhas: "Nuclear pore complexes allow the transfer of molecules across cell membranes. Dr. Manhas found that these pore complexes are essential in the replication of DNA elements, called transposons, that move from one location in the genome to another. These findings help us understand the replication of viruses that are related to transposons."

Doctor of Philosophy (Bioinformatics)

Dr. Raunak Man Shrestha: "Dr. Shrestha developed computational algorithms to identify and prioritize cancer driver genes. He identified a novel molecular subtype of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, potentially vulnerable to immunotherapy. His work helps clinicians contextualize genomic information in clinical decision making, thus enabling precision oncology."

Doctor of Philosophy (Biomedical Engineering)

Dr. Fahime Sheikhzadeh: "Dr. Sheikhzadeh worked on improving the diagnostic process of cervical cancer. She demonstrated that novel imaging technologies could be employed to reduce unnecessary biopsies and developed algorithms to differentiate between grades of precancerous tissue. Her work will lead to fast and cost-effective diagnosis of this type of cancer."
Dr. James Robertson Baylis: "Dr. Baylis examined treatments for bleeding using self-propelling particles. These micro-rockets, loaded with pro-coagulant and applied directly to the wound site, can travel against the flow of blood to stop bleeding at its source. He further developed new bandages, which could stop massive bleeding during surgery or emergency situations."
Dr. Youngjin Yoo: "Dr. Yoo investigated new computational methods, based on artificial intelligence, that automatically identify changes in brain images. These changes signify how a patient with neurological disorders may get worse over time. His research will help doctors gain more useful information from each patient's MRI and give personalized treatment for each person."
Dr. Parastoo Kheirkhah Dehkordi: "Dr. Dehkordi designed and developed a simple and low cost mobile technology for screening sleep and sleep apnea in children using a pulse oximeter connected to a smartphone."
Dr. Peter Alexander Haddad: "Dr. Haddad developed novel flexible and breathable electrodes to monitor electrodermal activity, which is a biological signal related to the neurological system. This work improved our understanding of the impacts of electrode design on bio-signal monitoring and identified effective materials for wearable medical devices."

Doctor of Philosophy (Botany)

Dr. Anna Evgenyevna Kreynes: "Dr. Kreynes studied how specific cell signalling mechanisms impact a plant's ability to produce flavonoid antioxidants in order to improve our understanding and yield of beneficial phytochemicals. Flavonoids help plants cope with stress, and are components in medicinal plants that can help us treat diseases and live longer healthier lives."
Dr. Emily Barbara McKenzie Drummond: "Dr. Drummond compared agricultural-weed populations of sunflower to their wild counterparts, to understand what traits and genes contribute to the success of this widespread weed species. Weeds grew faster, flowered earlier and possessed herbicide resistance, all traits that enhanced their competitiveness."
Dr. Yichun Qiu: "Flowering plants' genomes have large numbers of genes that arose by gene duplication events. Dr. Qiu studied the evolution of these duplicated genes. He characterized three new models of the evolutionary fates of gene pairs after duplication."
Dr. Shumin Wang: "Dr. Wang showed the functional characterization of proteins involved in secondary cell wall development in plants. She also discovered new functions of ovate family proteins involved in maintaining plant hormone homeostasis and regulating the cotyledon development. Her work helps us understand how plant fibers and wood are formed in nature."
Dr. Lan Tuyet Tran: "Dr. Tran studied the genetic factors that contribute to the complex process of wood formation in trees. Understanding the influence of different genes on wood formation will enable the improvement of wood quality for various applications, including the potential for bioethanol production."
Dr. Megan Gene Bontrager: "Dr. Bontrager investigated how climate affects adaptation across the range of a native wildflower. This work illustrates the possibility for gene flow to help populations adapt to climate change."
Dr. Charles Craig Johnson Copeland: "Dr. Copeland studied the role of targeted protein degradation in regulating the plant immune system. His research contributed to the knowledge of how excessive accumulation immune receptors is avoided."
Dr. Kyra Genevieve Janot: "Dr. Janot studied articulated corallines, calcifying red algae that have flexible, uncalcified joints. She compared joints of independently evolving groups, finding that material and chemical differences can result in similar mechanical outcomes. This research clarifies the process of convergent evolution at several levels of biological organization."

Doctor of Philosophy (Cell and Developmental Biology)

Dr. Guang Gao: "Dr. Gao examined the organization of intracellular organelle membranes at the nanoscale. He showed the mechanism for organizing the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) nanodomains and distinct types of membrane contacts between the ER and mitochondria. His studies may help to address the significance of membrane ultrastructure functioning in human disease."
Dr. Runxia Wen: "Dr. Wen characterized autophagy, a cellular clearance process, in the light-detecting rod photoreceptors in the retina. She also examined the therapeutic effect of autophagy modulators on retinitis pigmentsoa, an inherited eye disorder. This research allows greater understanding of autophagy and the mechanisms of retinal degeneration."

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical and Biological Engineering)

Dr. Yu Max Wang: "Dr. Wang's research is in the field of bio-chemical production. He developed a systemic approach to examining the economics and risk analysis of industrial-scale biomass projects. The outcomes can facilitate discussion among bio-refineries, investors and biomass producers."
Dr. Yinghui Zhang: "Dr. Zhang studied micro direct liquid fuel cells for portable power devices, using experimental and computational methods. Her results show the design of catalyzed channel walls is a feasible approach to enhance the maximum power density. Her model will aid in the design of fuel cells with catalyzed channel walls."
Dr. Hasti Hosseinizand: "Dr. Hosseinizand showed that drying and densification of microalgae is a feasible way to produce renewable fuels from microalgae. This finding eliminates the need for other expensive microalgae conversion methods and leads to faster commercialization of microalgae-based fuels."

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemistry)

Dr. Miguel Angel Garcia Chavez: "Dr. Garcia completed his doctoral studies in the field of Chemistry. He developed numerical methods that speed up the process of solving the Schrodinger equation for large molecules."
Dr. Prashant Sandeep Kumar: "Dr. Kumar developed novel antimicrobial peptides, which are effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. He also investigated different strategies to deliver the peptides in a skin infection model. These studies pave the way to combat superbugs in the future."
Dr. Matthew Simon MacLennan: "Dr. MacLennan developed a fast, environmentally friendly and cost-effective chemical analysis method to characterize oil sands contaminants in environmental waters. The method was used to chemically fingerprint contaminated water samples according to their origin, providing a complementary approach to oil sands forensics."
Dr. Cheng Qian: "Dr. Qian studied molecular interactions. He introduced a new algorithm to a conventional method to make it applicable in real life applications such as anti-cancer drug-screening technology. His research has provided a new solution to the measurement of drug-binding, and it will potentially benefit the pharmaceutical industry."
Dr. Kaveh Matinkhoo: "Dr. Matinkhoo developed the first ever synthesis of alpha-amanitin, the main toxin of the notorious death cap mushroom, since its discovery over 60 years ago. This toxin recently provided effective treatments for several cancers in mice, namely pancreatic. This work provides insight into the synthesis of targeted amanitins and derivatives thereof."
Dr. Khatera Hazin: "Dr. Hazin developed an improved method for producing rubber used in tires. The existing process is conducted at minus 100 degrees Celsius; however her discoveries, involving the synthesis of strong Bronsted acids, show that rubber can be produced at temperatures above minus 100 degrees Celsius. Findings promise cost savings and more environmentally friendly rubber."
Dr. Eric R Miller: "Dr. Miller's research studied the atomic properties of xenon. He produced states in xenon, which are sensitive to the effects of magnetism, and probed these states using ultraviolet laser light. His research will help create xenon-based magnetic sensors that work in the near-vacuum conditions of subatomic physics experiments."
Dr. Tirthaprasad Chattaraj: "Dr. Chattaraj explored the effect of long-range hopping in dynamics of interacting particles. His research developed a method for efficient calculation of two-particle Green's functions in higher dimensional lattices and graph structures such as binary trees."
Dr. Peixi Wang: "Dr. Wang studied the microscopic structures and evolution of liquid crystalline tactoids formed by cellulose nanocrystals. He developed an in-situ photopolymerization method to capture these soft ordered microdroplets for direct electron microscopy observations. His work provides new insights into the early evolution of self-assembly processes."
Dr. Kaitlin Lovering: "Dr. Lovering investigated how charged particles and temperature affect the the interactions of water and minerals. This work helps us understand ice formation in natural environments."
Dr. Matthew Berry: "Dr. Berry developed a new class of organic catalysts, and studied their mechanism of action in detail. These studies will aid in the development of better catalysts and new modes of reactivity."

Doctor of Philosophy (Civil Engineering)

Dr. Sarmad Mehrbod: "Dr. Mehrbod studied how teams work together using state of the art 3D and 4D-modelling technologies during building design. He formalized the coordination processes, identified bottlenecks, and proposed novel design considerations. His results have practical implications for the construction industry, and the software development community."
Dr. Ilaria Capraro: "Dr. Capraro studied the impact of subduction motions on the seismic performance of buildings. Her research showed that the long duration of subduction motions leads to higher collapse probabilities and that the magnitude of this effect depends on the fundamental period, the ductility of the structure and the intensity of the motions."
Dr. Yuxin Pan: "Dr. Pan's PhD dissertation is the first detailed study of the effects of long duration earthquakes on the collapse risk of timber buildings. This research is very timely for building developments in southwestern British Columbia. The study is expected to have a significant impact on future building codes for timber structures."
Dr. Ahmed Hussein Ibrahim Abd Tageldin: "Road collisions are a severe epidemic that cause the loss of millions of lives. Dr. Ahmed introduced measures of road safety for less-organized traffic environments. He developed evasive action measures to detect road users in close collisions. His research helps practitioners to objectively assess road safety in less-organized traffic environments."
Dr. Shona Jacquelyn Robinson: "Dr. Robinson studied the long-term use of membranes to treat drinking water for communities. She discovered that membrane performance deteriorates over time, due to changing membrane physical and chemical properties. Her work has established methods to better understand membrane ageing, as well as recommendations to prolong membrane service life."
Dr. Juan Antonio Sanjuan: "Dr. Sanjuan studied project management best practices in construction projects and their relationship with project outcomes. He developed an integrated framework of standards to build an assessment tool. Results show that the stronger the adherence to best practices the better the projects' outcomes in terms of scope, cost, time and client satisfaction."

Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science)

Dr. Robin Salkeld: "Dr. Salkeld developed a foundation for applying computer programming languages to recordings of running software. Called "Time-travel Programming," it allows computer scientists to interact with previously recorded software behavior using the same tools and techniques as live execution. This approach can be used to diagnose previously unsolved, difficult-to-reproduce bugs."
Dr. Mushfiqur Rouf: "Cameras cannot capture the full range of light intensities without losing image accuracy. Dr. Rouf proposed a computational optimization framework and developed methods for reconstructing high-fidelity photographs. This framework challenges expensive, conventional solutions and provides a practical use for everyday photography."
Dr. Debanga Raj Neog: "Dr. Neog developed methods to measure, model and animate movements of eyes and human facial tissues. He applied his methods to measure subtle motions of these tissues that convey important information in facial expressions. He subsequently used these measurements to model and generate interactive facial animations for applications in computer graphics."
Dr. Jianhui Chen: "Dr. Chen's doctoral studies focused on the automatic broadcasting of team sports, like basketball and soccer. He developed several methods of learning knowledge from human operators. His research contributes to camera calibration, camera angle prediction and camera location prediction, using computer vision and machine learning techniques."
Dr. Julie Ann Nutini: "Dr. Nutini studied greedy optimization methods for large-scale machine learning. She showed how to theoretically and empirically speed up these methods by leveraging their flexibility and exploiting problem structure. Her work revitalized the use of greedy methods for solving popular machine learning problems, proving that sometimes, greed IS good."

Doctor of Philosophy (Counselling Psychology)

Dr. Cheryl Lynn DuMerton: "Dr. DuMerton described what helps and hinders early parenting women who are impacted by substance use. This research contributes a practical understanding of the needs of this vulnerable population and will assist professionals who treat mothers' addiction issues while they remain together with their babies."
Dr. Wei-Chiao Hsu: "Dr. Hsu's research demonstrates the hindering, helpful, and wish-list categories associated with the parenting experience of Chinese mothers in so-called "astronaut" families in Vancouver, BC. Her research addresses a gap in the body of literature on non-working class, transnational families and is likely to inform counselling psychology and education fields."

Doctor of Philosophy (Craniofacial Science)

Dr. Leigha Duree Rock: "Dr. Rock advanced the risk stratification of oral precancerous lesions by examining different associations between microscopic diagnosis, molecular features, risk habits, clinical lesion characteristics over time and progression to cancer. This research provides a new framework to integrate lesion change over time into risk models."
Dr. Negar Salimi: "Dr. Salimi conducted an 18 year review of outcomes related to cleft lip and palate patients treated at BC's Children's Hospital in order to evaluate the incidence and potential risk of fistula development. She further developed a protocol for comprehensive follow up of cleft lip and palate patients in the shape of a standardized assessment form."

Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum Studies)

Dr. Peter Alexander Train: "Dr. Train studied the influence of pleasure in Physical Education. He examined the natural desire young people have to move for pleasure and the developmental lens through which an educator tends to view their movement. He provides an alternative framework for educators interested in investigating the value of pleasure-based physical education."
Dr. Latika Raisinghani: "Dr. Raisinghani examined teachers' perspectives on students' cultural diversity and responsive science and mathematics teaching. Her research adds to the scant literature on this topic and provides insights into culturally responsive teaching in a Canadian context. It also brings Canadian teachers' voices to the fore in the field of multicultural science education."
Dr. Fernando Murillo: "Dr. Murillo studied the processes by which subjectivity (our singular expression of who we are) emerges from educational experience. Working from psychoanalysis, his study shows that the process of becoming who we are is marked in important ways, not only by moments of internal struggle and even devastation, but also by reconciliation and reconstruction."

Doctor of Philosophy (Economics)

Dr. Nouri Najjar: "Dr. Najjar provided new evidence of how firms change their operations in response to environmental policy. His work showed how these changes contribute to a cleaner economy, but may disadvantage domestic firms relative to foreign firms. These results give new insights into the environmental and economic consequences of environmental policy."
Dr. Anton Laptiev: "Dr. Laptiev used modern econometric methods to find that improved access to foreign intermediate inputs, generated by tariff reductions, fosters domestic producers to upgrade the quality of their exports. His research contributes to a better understanding of the benefits of trade liberalization at the microeconomic level."
Dr. Thomas Hans Dillon Cornwall: "Dr. Cornwall developed a method of estimating the causal effect of social interactions on online social networks. He applied this method to show how social media users' emotions are affected by the emotions of their friends. This research helps to quantify the importance of emotions in written communication."
Dr. Jacob Michael Schwartz: "Dr. Schwartz developed methodology for inference in models with many simultaneously interacting agents, allowing us to better exploit the rich information contained in data on social networks and two-sided matching markets. The tools are applied to study how information frictions affect the decisions and job outcomes of workers in labour markets."
Dr. Ruoying Wang: "Dr. Wang studied how international trade affects firm performance. Using empirical analysis and theoretical modeling, she showed that an increase in import competition can lead to more innovation as firms "escape" the increased competition, and that longer and broader buyer-supplier relationships can improve the performance of importing firms."
Dr. Nathan Joseph Canen: "Dr. Canen studied the organization of political institutions, including the formation of political networks, the sources and effects of polarization, and the impacts of information during campaigns. To do so, he also developed new theoretical models with improved statistical properties for these problems. Such tools may be applied in other fields."
Dr. Jose David Pulido Pescador: "Dr. Pulido Pescador studied different implications of resource misallocation across heterogeneous agents. His research helps to understand how frictions in the factor markets can shape the patterns of specialization of an open economy and the gaps in income between agriculture and non-agriculture workers in developing countries."
Dr. Alastair Edward Wilson Fraser: "Dr. Fraser studied electricity use by households in British Columbia, as well as the choice of air versus ocean shipping in international trade. His work helps us find ways to improve the efficient use of energy by understanding how households respond to financial incentives, and through opportunities to ship products by sea instead of by air."

Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies)

Dr. Marissa Isela Munoz: "Dr. Munoz created an Indigenous Fronterizo Pedagogy of Water by documenting the life stories of elders in her home community of Laredo, Texas. Her work revitalizes the ancestral relationships between the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo and the diverse Indigenous peoples of the Texas Mexico border communities, connecting youth to elders through water stories."
Dr. Omer Aijazi: "Dr. Aijazi examined how people have flourished following natural disasters in the mountainscapes of Northern Pakistan and Kashmir. He highlights the diverse ways his participants sustain themselves despite conditions of violence. He reveals that lived and felt experience are sites of knowledge, and theory is not just about seeing, but also feeling."
Dr. Heather Lynn Commodore: "Dr. Commodore examined Indigenous doctoral student's journeys to and experiences at a Canadian university. She found that students established success by creating community, maintaining family and cultural connections, and engaging in Indigenous and faculty mentoring programs. These findings inform policy, programs, and student services for Indigenous doctoral students."
Dr. Sereana Elina Patterson: "Dr. Patterson examined Pasifika women's experiences of working in higher education using Pacific research methods. This research explored how Pasifika women continue to navigate towards community success despite racism and sexism in the academy by challenging these practices and protecting the interests of Pasifika students and communities."

Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Dr. Primal Ruwan Wijesekera: "Dr. Wijesekera developed a contextual permission system to better safeguard personal and sensitive resources in smartphones. The new permission system significantly increases privacy protection of current mobile platforms over the status-quo by engaging the users more effectively."
Dr. Ildar Irekovich Muslukhov: "Dr. Muslukhov investigated how users and application developers protect sensitive data stored in smartphones. The results of his research suggest that both sides struggle, but in different ways. While smartphone users often choose easy-to-guess passwords, application developers lack specific knowledge required to keep data secure."
Dr. S.M. Shahrear Tanzil: "Dr. Tanzil investigated how local cloud resources can be utilized for 5G wireless networks. His proposed computation and caching methods reduce operating cost of 5G networks while maintaining quality of experience. His findings enable users to enjoy a wide variety of augmented reality and personal assistance applications using mobile devices."
Dr. Mohammad Ghadir Khoshkholgh Dashtaki: "Dr. Khoshkholgh studied the analysis and design of large-scale wireless cellular networks comprising of millions of devices. He developed sophisticated mathematical models permitting fast and accurate performance evaluation of such networks without requiring expensive and time-consuming industry simulations."
Dr. Shekoofeh Azizi: "Dr. Azizi's research focused on improving decision-making models for diagnostic ultrasound. She explored novel explainable learning methods for prostate cancer detection. The developed technique overlays information about the presence and distribution of cancer on ultrasound images during biopsy and can improve the detection of aggressive disease."
Dr. Carlos Daniel Gerardo Hernandez: "Dr. Gerardo developed the world's first ultrasound transducer for biomedical imaging using inexpensive polymer materials. His new transducer design competes in performance with current ultrasound transducers for a fraction of the cost. This research illuminates the way for the creation of wearable cardiac monitoring systems."
Dr. Fariba Aalamifar: "Dr. Aalamifar studied the smart grid, the electrical supply networks that integrate the digital technology in order to monitor and control the power grid. She developed optimal frameworks and efficient algorithms for designing advanced metering infrastructures. Her work will significantly advance the automation of power grid networks."
Dr. Bo Zhuang: "Dr. Zhuang developed adaptive methods to improve the visualization of the human spine in ultrasound imaging. This research benefits real-time, ultrasound-guided, spinal needle injection procedures, such as Epidural. His work also furthers our understanding of connecting ultrasound with other imaging modalities to get the benefits from each."
Dr. Seyed Arash Sheikholeslam: "Electronic devices that are designed to have long term industrial, space, and military use, suffer from aging and degradation in performance over time. Dr. Sheikholeslam has identified how some chemical processes lead to nano-electronics aging. He investigated various strategies to make sensitive electronics more reliable."

Doctor of Philosophy (English)

Dr. Donald Michael Hunter: "Dr. Hunter studied Vancouver poetry of the 1960s and 1970s, with a focus on two important magazines published in the city at that time, "Tish" and "blew ointment." This research contributes to an emerging scholarly engagement of the importance of literature from Vancouver, especially in its earlier formations."
Dr. William Walker Green: "Dr. Green examined the literary features of texts produced in medieval England dealing with the reckoning of the calendar and the nature of time, which have usually been regarded as 'scientific'. His research provides evidence that these often-neglected works exerted more influence than previously recognized on medieval English literary production."
Dr. Mono Brown: "Dr. Brown examined appeals to personal responsibility in public health campaigns. Personal responsibility is essential to public health, but its encouragement also has serious consequences, some of which this research documents. Four case studies illuminate the need for contexts supportive of personal responsibility, to ensure the health of all."
Dr. Dorothy Lockyer: "Dr. Lockyer examined the meanings and functions of emotional talk in English and Polish digital communication and literary dialogue. Her findings provided insight into the role of evaluative affixes in conveying various emotional connotations of interjections."

Doctor of Philosophy (Experimental Medicine)

Dr. Rita McCracken: "Dr. McCracken examined how hypertension is currently being treated in Canadians 70 years and older. She subsequently studied the possibility that hypertension treatment patterns are related to polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications, and that too much hypertension treatment may increase specific harms, such as an earlier diagnosis of dementia."
Dr. Sarah Anne Moore: "Dr. Moore developed prediction equations that can be used by clinicians and researchers to estimate maturational status in children and youth. She applied these equations to a young adult cohort and found that later maturity was not negatively associated with bone mass, density, structure or strength."
Dr. Peter Andrew Raven: "Dr. Raven developed an animal model for evaluating experimental therapeutics that target bladder cancer. Using this model, he found that an embryonic cell pathway, Sonic Hedgehog, is activated in these cancers and that it can be blocked to reduce tumor growth. This research provides proof of principle for a new bladder cancer treatment."
Dr. Dominik Dietmar Sommerfeld: "Dr. Sommerfeld investigated how two specific protein complexes regulate the cell division process in cervical cancer cells. His studies identified novel functions for these protein complexes, and showed how loss of their activities may contribute to uncontrolled cell division and cancer."
Dr. Naif Sami Sannan: "Dr. Sannan studied the fovea, a region in the retina essential for our central sharp vision. He published novel mutations in patients with abnormal fovea and defined the cellular and molecular cues deriving fovea development in green anoles. The latter has opened a new path of research toward treating the untreatable foveal abnormalities."
Dr. Romy Eleonora Hoeppli: "Dr. Hoeppli studied how Regulatory T cells, a type of white blood cell, could be used like a drug to prevent graft rejection after organ transplantation. She found that these cells can be modified during cell culture to increase their effectiveness as a drug. Her research contributes towards improving the success of organ transplantation."
Dr. Joshua Andrew Dubland: "Dr. Dubland studied smooth muscle cell foam cell formation in atherosclerosis. He found that a deficiency in lysosomal acid lipase, a key enzyme used to break down fats, was implicated in cholesterol accumulation in these cells. These results provide new insights into lipid build up in atherosclerosis and identify a new potential therapeutic target."
Dr. Daksh Thaper: "Dr. Thaper studied the malleable nature of epithelial prostate cancer cells, specifically the ability of these cells to survive hormone therapy by moving up the differentiation ladder to a more aggressive neuronal state. This research identified an important protein for this process and new therapies are currently under development for clinical use."
Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Ben-Eltriki: "Dr. Ben-Eltriki explored the benefits of combining a ginseng-based compound with vitamin D as an anticancer strategy to treat advanced prostate cancer patients. This combination demonstrated both synergy and sensitization of anticancer activities over using either compound alone, which could yield superior therapeutic effects for cancer patients."

Doctor of Philosophy (Forestry)

Dr. Yuhao Lu: "Using time series of satellite images, Dr. Lu quantified the dynamics between urban green space and socio-economic development within the pan-Pacific region from 1984 to 2012. His interdisciplinary research innovatively applied Earth observation technique, unlocking new ways of studying economy and urbanization."
Dr. Timo William Van Der Zwan: "Dr. van der Zwan studied the factors limiting production of renewable biomass-based products. Through insights in rheology and enzymology, he revealed the underlying causes of key limitations and the mechanisms by which enzymes can be used to overcome them. This work betters our understanding of what is required to develop a sustainable bioeconomy."
Dr. Ignacio San Miguel: "Dr. San-Miguel developed a novel framework using Landsat satellite data to improve our understanding of historical fire patterns across the Canadian boreal forest. When applied, the framework produced new information for 507 fires. This work increases our understanding of fire mortality and fire burn behaviour that was not previously known."
Dr. Felipe Rossetti de Paula: "Dr. de Paula studied the effectiveness of riparian buffer management strategies to protect stream ecosystems in agricultural landscapes of the Amazon. These strategies were retaining forests in place and land abandonment for natural regeneration. He found that both strategies were effective, contributing to more sustainable agriculture practices"
Dr. Arthur Langer Bass: "Dr. Bass studied the fate of upstream migrating adult Pacific salmon that encounter fishing nets but escape or are released. He found that some net types cause higher mortality than others and that biological factors may have a large impact on survival."
Dr. Tanya Louise Gallagher: "Dr. Gallagher developed an inexpensive and repeatable method to link historical land use to groundwater contamination. She subsequently applied her method to an aquifer on the US-Canada border to better understand the build up of nitrate in our drinking water."
Dr. Na Zhong: "Former U.S. President Bush once said, "The world is addicted to oil". To address this, Dr. Zhong examined the possibility of making bioethanol from sustainably sourced wood residues as an alternative to oil for transport. Her research advances the industrialization of lignocellulosic bioethanol production."
Dr. Joane Simone Elleouet: "Dr. Elleouet studied spruce populations in Alaska to understand how expanding forests evolve in a changing climate. She found that the trees' long time to maturity and the capacity to disperse pollen across large distances might help these forests keep a healthy level of genetic diversity. She also explored the use of genomic data to infer past demographic changes in natural tree populations."
Dr. Maria Jose Murcia: "Dr. Murcia studied how corporate social responsibility practices affect companies' strategic decisions. She found that socially responsible companies outsource value chain activities significantly less. In addition, socially responsible practices improve employee relations, which through knowledge retention, lead to product innovation."

Doctor of Philosophy (Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice)

Dr. Rahela Nayebzadah: "Dr. Nayebzadah studied the representation of Afghan-Canadian Muslim diaspora in postcolonial fiction through the practice of a/r/tography. Her work raises questions about biases, presuppositions, and world-views on Muslims. This research informs discussion around the role of authors as constructing and consolidating notions of "self" and "other"."

Doctor of Philosophy (Genome Science and Technology)

Dr. Zachary Byron Armstrong: "Dr. Armstrong investigated the presence of plant carbohydrate degrading genes present in terrestrial, aquatic, engineered and host associated environments using functional metagenomic methods. This revealed novel genes and previously uncharacterized modes of degradation and enabled the development of new synthetic tools."
Dr. Florian Heinkel: "Dr. Heinkel investigated a novel biophysical mechanism of membrane protein clustering in the pathogen causing tuberculosis. His work helps to understand the physiology of these clinically important bacteria and might lead to a route for therapeutics against the disease."

Doctor of Philosophy (Geography)

Dr. Jonathan Luedee: "Dr. Luedee studied the environmental history of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. He demonstrated how the demarcation of political borders in the western Arctic and the creation of boundary concepts in the biophysical sciences, transformed human understandings of and relationships with this group of migratory animals during the twentieth century."
Dr. Leonora Adele King: "Dr. King's research highlighted the complex processes that control the spatial organization of surface meltwater features on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Her work improves our understanding of the processes controlling ice sheet melt in a warming world."
Dr. Leigh Christine Barrick: "Dr. Barrick examined the politics of United States immigration enforcement practices towards Central American asylum seekers, including the denial of common asylum claims and family separation through detention. This research offers insights into how public policy could better support this population's well-being and access to asylum."

Doctor of Philosophy (Geological Sciences)

Dr. Fabien Rabayrol: "Dr. Rabayrol studied the formation of gold deposits in Anatolia in Turkey. He showed the genetic relationship between the Arabian continental collision, mantle flow, magmatism and gold mineralization. His research provides the mining industry with a new exploration model in Anatolia, and insights into metallogeny in collisional tectonic domains."
Dr. Anais Renée Fourny: "Dr. Fourny studied layered intrusions, which are fossil magma chambers that represent natural laboratories, to examine how magma solidifies. She analyzed the chemistry of samples from the Kiglapait layered intrusion of coastal Labrador in northern Canada to reconstruct its entire crystallization history. These results can be used as a template for examining other geologically more complex intrusions worldwide."
Dr. Andrew Jeffrey Fagan: "Dr. Fagan investigated the ruby and pink sapphire deposits of southwest Greenland. He found that gem corundum forms in unusual mafic-ultramafic rocks that have metamorphosed at high pressure and temperature. This study illuminates the role of recrystallization and hydrous-halide fluids in the formation of coloured gemstone deposits."
Dr. Elliott Karl Skierszkan: "Dr. Skierszkan studied the mobility of two metallic contaminants, molybdenum and zinc, in mine waste rock and tailings by using stable isotope analyses. His research provides practitioners with a new tool to trace the release and attenuation of metals in mine waste and thus improve environmental management at mine sites."
Dr. Kathryn Rhian Grodzicki MacWilliam: "Dr. MacWilliam studied gold mineralization in western Yukon and eastern Alaska. She found that different styles of gold mineralization are genetically related. Her results advance the understanding of gold deposit models, which can be applied for the benefit of exploration in the northern Cordillera as well as globally."

Doctor of Philosophy (Geophysics)

Dr. Anna Grau Galofre: "Did rivers ever flow on Mars? The remnants of channels on its surface suggest they did. Dr. Grau Galofre showed that although rivers existed, the majority flowed beneath hundreds of meters of glacial ice. This discovery may help to understand the climate and hydrology of ancient Mars and to focus the search for life outside of our planet."
Dr. Zhilong Fang: "Dr. Fang studied how to use seismic data to create an image of the Earth's interior. He developed a technique to achieve this goal without knowing the original signal characteristics. This technique can help oil and gas industries make better exploration decisions."
Dr. Thomas Jacques Aubry: "Dr. Aubry investigated how weather conditions during an eruption control the rise of explosive volcanic columns. His research unravels how long-term climate changes affect the delivery of volcanic gases into the atmosphere and suggests that global warming will hinder volcanoes' ability to cool Earth."

Doctor of Philosophy (Germanic Studies)

Dr. Stephanie Dreier: "The fairytale fantasy is a hybrid literary genre that combines fairy tale and fantasy characteristics. Through an examination of two sets of case-studies from different national literatures, Dr. Dreier provided means to the understanding of the narrative apparatus and the revisionist qualities of fairytale fantasy works."
Dr. Anja Nowak: "Dr. Nowak examined the space of the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw during the German occupation of Poland as experienced by those forced to inhabit it. In her thesis, she introduced a concept of violence that allows a description of space itself as a form of violence. Her work contributes to Holocaust Studies as well as current research on space and violence."

Doctor of Philosophy (Human Nutrition)

Dr. Claire Tugault-Lafleur: "Drawing from national data, Dr. Tugault-Lafle characterised the determinants of diet quality among Canadian children on school days and how diet quality has changed from 2004 to 2015. These findings provide evidence to inform policy debates about the potential roles schools could play to influence the diet of Canadian children."

Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems)

Dr. Adrienne Vanessa Levay: "Dr. Levay explored the implementation of British Columbia's school food and beverage sales policy. This research provides insight into the complexity of implementing food systems-related public health policy."

Doctor of Philosophy (Interdisciplinary Studies)

Dr. Cluny Serenella South: "Dr. South examined how prosocial behaviour towards others is impacted by an individual's sense of self and belonging status. She found that people who were more independent were less prosocial towards animal out-groups, if they felt a strong sense of belonging. This finding has implications for cause marketing and especially for animal charities."
Dr. Nicole Rielle Capler: "Access to cannabis for medical purposes is a constitutional right in Canada. Dr. Capler's research explored patients' experiences accessing medical cannabis under different regulatory frameworks. She considered whether access was reasonable, and the impact it had on their lives. Her work has implications for the newly legalized recreational context."
Dr. Beth Ann Clark: "Dr. Clark studied how transgender youth, parents and health care providers made decisions about initiating hormone therapy. Findings address gaps in understanding of health, and ethical decision-making processes that affected access to needed health care. This work will support practices aimed at improving health outcomes of trans youth and their families."
Dr. Margaret Isabel Hall: "Dr. Hall examined current and alternative approaches to adult guardianship - the framework that helps protect vulnerable adults. She developed a model that is consistent with legal principles and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This work responds to the problems arising in the context of dementia and old age."
Dr. Lisa Kim Viljoen: "Dr. Viljoen's study looked at creating and comparing trauma-informed behaviour plans to regular behaviour plans for primary school children with a history of adverse childhood experiences. While results were inconclusive, the research suggested trauma-informed practice would be most effective using a school-wide model."

Doctor of Philosophy (Kinesiology)

Dr. Taylor Cleworth: "Dr. Cleworth studied how a threat, such as standing near the edge of an elevated surface, influences the perception of balance-related movements. He found that when threatened, our balance perceptions during various tasks are amplified. His findings can assist clinicians and researchers in developing rehabilitation programs and reducing fall risk."
Dr. Christopher James Forgaard: "Dr. Forgaard investigated the extent to which stretch reflexes in the arm can change, based on voluntary intentions. His findings revealed a strong link between reflexive and voluntary upper-limb motor control. This work increases our overall understanding of how humans control rapid goal-directed movements."
Dr. Nicole Tai Tee Ong: "Dr. Ong investigated how perceptions of 'success' impact motor learning. She showed that experiences of 'error' neither negatively nor positively impacted learning, as long as participants improved and were aware of how they were performing. This research undermines newer claims on error-reduction methods for positive learning outcomes."
Dr. Joseph Frank Welch: "Do the respiratory muscles of men and women fatigue differently? Dr. Welch investigated sex-based differences in diaphragmatic fatigue. Specifically, how diaphragm fatigue affects the cardiovascular system and endurance exercise performance."

Doctor of Philosophy (Language and Literacy Education)

Dr. Tetsuro Hugh Shigematsu: "Dr. Shigematsu wrote and performed a theatrical one-person show called Empire of the Son, in which he explores his relationship as an Asian Canadian with his traditional Japanese father. This research illuminates the complexities and emotional labor involved with writing, performing and touring the world with an autobiographical work of theatre."
Dr. Laura Ann Teichert: "Dr. Teichert examined digital literacy practices of children in their homes before and after kindergarten entry. She found children moved fluidly between digital and non-digital activities during play, but that parents had concerns about their children's use of digital devices and preferred that their children engage in non-digital activities."
Dr. Rahela Nayebzadah: "Dr. Nayebzadah studied the representation of Afghan-Canadian Muslim diaspora in postcolonial fiction through the practice of a/r/tography. Her work raises questions about biases, presuppositions, and world-views on Muslims. This research informs discussion around the role of authors as constructing and consolidating notions of "self" and "other"."
Dr. Claire Sae Im Ahn: "Dr. Ahn explored the powerful role images can play in how we perceive the environment and environmental issues. Specifically, she investigated how visual rhetorical modes in environmental documentaries influenced viewers. Her work will further our understanding of how visual rhetoric can engender awareness and a willingness to act in more eco-conscious ways."
Dr. Ernesto Jose Pena Alonso: "Dr. Pena tracked understandings of "Visual Literacy" across disciplines through the last century. He curated a full-text database of scholarly writing on the topic and designed a text analysis tool to visualize relationships among writings. This study advances understandings of Visual Literacy and provides a unique tool for text analysis."

Doctor of Philosophy (Law)

Dr. Regiane Garcia: "Dr. Garcia examined the law and practice of citizen participation in resource allocations in Brazil. Her research offered new data on the workings of participation in health systems. This advances our understanding about the significant role of citizens in ensuring accountable resource allocations that both improve access and support population health."
Dr. Shiva Olyaei: "Dr. Olyaei employed a feminist legal lens to assess the overemphasis on law and legal reform to realize gender justice. She argued that feminist strategies should critically situate themselves in specific sociopolitical contexts, concluding that feminist theories of global south are vitally important for directing the future of Iranian feminist activism."
Dr. Zoe Margaret Prebble: "Dr. Prebble studied criminal offenses that overlap with one another, asking when that overlap contributes to the problem of there being too much criminal law. Using gendered violence case studies, she found that some specific criminal offences are justified because they give a name to distinct gendered harms that would otherwise not be fully recongised by the criminal law."

Doctor of Philosophy (Linguistics)

Dr. Sihwei Chen: "Dr. Chen investigated how natural languages vary in expressing temporal and modal information. Through fieldwork on Atayal, an endangered Austronesian language of Taiwan she uncovered new ways in which meaning components can be combined. Her work contributes to modifying current theories and typology and provides valuable language documentation."
Dr. Alexis Killian Black: "Dr. Black studied how children and adults detect linguistic patterns in streams of sound. She found that both pre-existing knowledge and factors related to cognitive development, such as executive function, impact this learning process in different ways. This work contributes to our understanding of low-level mechanisms driving language acquisition."

Doctor of Philosophy (Materials Engineering)

Dr. Sophia Shuk Kwan Chan: "Fuel cells are promising devices to sustain our increasing need for clean energy. Dr. Chan developed a novel catalyst component using nanofibrous materials to study the impact of material and structural properties on fuel cell performance. The findings from her research can reduce costs and increase efficiencies in future fuel cell designs."

Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)

Dr. Navid Ghadermarzy: "Dr. Ghadermarzy studied the problem of completing multi-dimensional arrays, i.e., tensors from noisy or 1-bit measurements of a subset of their entries. Tensor completion is applicable whenever the data has missing or corrupted entries which can be the result of a faulty sensor or when taking measurements is too expensive. He proved optimal bound on the minimum required number of measurements for certain classes of tensors."
Dr. Cole Michael John Zmurchok: "Dr. Zmurchok used mathematical models to show that links between forces and chemical signalling in cells can lead to cell size fluctuations. His research suggests mechanisms at play in waves of contraction in a developing tissue, highlighting the importance of feedback between forces and signalling in models for cell dynamics."
Dr. Ka Fai Li: "Dr. Li studied the Kahler-Ricci flow on non-compact manifolds. He investigated conditions under which the solutions exist, and studied the existence time of the solutions."
Dr. Hon To Hardy Chan: "Dr. Chan studied differential equations, refining an existing method and developing new techniques for finding solutions, which, as an application, provides a counter-example in an open problem known as fractional De Giorgi conjecture."

Doctor of Philosophy (Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology)

Dr. Shawna Goodrich: "Dr. Goodrich studied measurement, evaluation and research methodology. She examined the application of a general diagnostic model to large-scale assessments across Canada and the U.S. Her findings reveal that such application provides a way to gain detailed evidence about mastery, reading literacy, and pathways to proficiency."

Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering)

Dr. Farzad Hemmati: "Multistage compressors are used extensively in high-speed natural gas operations and liquid natural gas industries. Dr. Hemmati's research proposed a new approach for identifying safe operation regions of these compressors. His work enriches our understanding of how to accurately estimate the stable boundaries of rotor bearing machinery."
Dr. Yu Du: "Dr. Du investigated the attention and navigation control of a mobile robot for carrying out dynamically challenging tasks involving humans. She made significant contributions in the development of an integrated attention model with self-awareness, and a biology-inspired method of robot planning and obstacle avoidance for a mobile robot."
Dr. Alexander Joseph Yuen: "Dr. Yuen studied precision manufacturing machines. He developed novel algorithms to plan the motion, control the precision, and the accuracy for a machine tool that combines a micro-milling machine and magnetically levitated actuator. Results can be used to manufacture high precision parts found in various high tech industries."
Dr. Emad Chaparian: "Yield-stress fluids such as cement paste are neither solids nor "simple" fluids like water. They will flow only when we put enough force on them. In this study, Dr. Chaparian addressed the stability of particles in yield-stress fluids. He also investigated the motion of particles and hydrodynamic interaction."
Dr. Coskun Islam: "Dr. Islam developed a novel temperature prediction model for machining of metals. The model sheds light on how heat is generated and distributed on metal cutting tools. His work helps with the designing of metal cutting tools and planning more cost effective manufacturing operations."
Dr. Pan Zhao: "Dr. Zhao developed methods to design switching gain-scheduled controllers for dynamic systems with significant dynamic variations in their operating range. He subsequently applied the developed methods to engineering systems such as optical image stabilizers and offshore wind turbines, resulting in improved control system performance."
Dr. Ali Etrati: "Dr. Etrati studied displacement of a fluid in a pipe by another fluid with different properties, to improve primary cementing of oil and gas wells. A successful primary cementing job is crucial to ensure sealing of the wells, and prevent short and long term environmental damage due to leakage from the reservoirs."
Dr. Amin Engarnevis: "Dr. Engarnevis studied moisture transport through polymeric membranes. He developed experimental and mathematical methods to explain the interactions between environmental stresses and permeation properties of composite membranes. His findings contribute to the development of high-performance membranes for vapor transport applications such as energy recovery in modern ventilation systems."
Dr. Alptunc Comak: "Dr. Comak studied the virtual process modeling of turn-milling operations used in aerospace and automotive industries to produce complex engine parts. He developed the novel physics-based mathematical models of the turn-milling process that maximize the productivity of the manufacturing process and accuracy of the machined parts."
Dr. Babak Nasouri: "Several microorganisms use elasticity to creep around, evade a predator, and to interact with their environment in fluids. Using mathematical models, Dr. Nasouri examined the effects of elasticity on the behaviors of microorganisms and showed that, indeed, elasticity can play a key role in motion of a cell in fluids."
Dr. Amir Farzad Forughi: "Dr. Forughi developed novel optical measurement methods to quantify moisture content in paper at high spatial and temporal resolution. He used these methods to investigate the effect of different parameters on paper drying, with the goal of improving the energy efficiency of papermaking."
Dr. Marjan Zare Bezgabadi: "Leakage of oil and gas wells and consequent emission of greenhouse gases has been an industry focus for the past 2-3 decades. Dr. Marjan focused on the Fluid Mechanics causes of gas migration and studied complex flows that are at the heart of this problem. Her study provides practical suggestions to mitigate the root causes of gas migration."

Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Genetics)

Dr. Sumaiya Islam: "Dr. Islam examined how DNA is chemically modified in neurological diseases including Huntington's disease, brain cancer and alcoholism. Her work highlighted how we can use these DNA marks to understand how genes are regulated in different types of healthy and diseased tissues, and to diagnose and track the progression of neurological disorders."
Dr. Lisa M McEwen: "Dr. McEwen helped characterize an epigenetic process called DNA methylation. She analyzed thousands of genome-wide DNA profiles ranging from newborns to centenarian-aged individuals. Her work increases our understanding of how methylation changes across the life-course and the potential implications it may have on human longevity."
Dr. Jack Hickmott: "Dr. Hickmott worked towards the development of new gene-based therapies for the rare genetic blindness known as aniridia. He developed new DNA elements to direct the expression of new therapies, further characterized a mouse model of aniridia, and used that mouse to show that PAX6 gene therapy can, at least, temporarily improve the aniridic cornea."

Doctor of Philosophy (Microbiology and Immunology)

Dr. Steven John McArthur: "Dr. McArthur studied neglected viral diseases, looking for better ways to measure viruses and their ability to infect humans. He developed analytic methods targeting dengue, Zika, and Ebola viruses, and applied them to discover new antivirals. His results advance our understanding of these viruses and may lead to a universal virus diagnostic test."
Dr. Meghan Verstraete: "Iron is a critical nutritional requirement for bacteria to establish infection. Dr. Verstraete investigated how the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus produces molecules to steal iron from the host. Her work demonstrates the ability of this pathogen to cause disease and opens new avenues for the development of diagnostics and therapies."
Dr. Maryvonne Adeline Rosamont-Ursulet: "The parasite Leishmania is a major public health issue in many tropical and subtropical countries. Dr. Rosamont-Ursulet studied the role of a family of Leishmania proteins in promoting the parasite survival in mammals. This research provides further understanding of the parasite biology in order to identify potential targets for new drug therapies."
Dr. Alyse Kathleen Hawley: "Dr. Hawley studied microbial metabolisms and metabolic interactions in oxygen depleted ocean waters. Her research clarified details of microbial community nitrogen, sulfur based interactions along gradients of oxygen. Her findings have important implications for nitrogen availability and greenhouse gas production and consumption."
Dr. Christoph Deeg: "Dr. Deeg discovered and characterized several unusual pathogens that infect and kill aquatic microbes: an abundant giant virus and a highly reduced bacteria that infect eukaryotic plankton and a vampire-like bacterial predator of bacteria. His work revealed evolutionary innovations that allow these remarkable pathogens to exploit their hosts."
Dr. Alissa Marie Cait: "The human body is home to approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms including bacteria and other microbes. Dr. Cait examined how this microbiome impacts asthma susceptibility and highlighted the importance of microbially-derived metabolites in preventing this disease."
Dr. Sarah Christine Mansour: "Dr. Mansour investigated alternatives to antibiotics for bacterial infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens. This resulted in the discovery of a novel peptide-based treatment, which could effectively treat skin infections caused by Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA) as well as increase the efficacy of existing antibiotics."
Dr. Franz Fenninger: "Dr. Fenninger studied the role of calcium channels in immune cells. He demonstrated that a specific channel is vital for an efficient immune response and that its mutation causes an immunodeficiency. His research highlights the importance of calcium channels in the immune system and their role as novel targets for therapeutic drug intervention."
Dr. Natalie Claire Marshall: "Dr. Marshall developed a technique to study how human mitochondria trigger cell death. Using this technique, she found new events implicated in cell death as well as unique events triggered during bacterial infection. This work addresses a technical gap in studying the 'powerhouse of the cell' and its control over human cell death."
Dr. Hitesh Arora: "Sepsis is a life-threatening illness. Dr. Arora discovered a novel pharmacological target for sepsis immunotherapy and identified specific substrates, which can be modulated to control the disease prognosis. He also clarified a mechanism to better understand the disease progression. This work will help save 10 million lives every year."

Doctor of Philosophy (Neuroscience)

Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez: "Dr. Vila investigated the role of the apoliprotein E gene in schizophrenia patients. He demonstrated that this gene has both positive and negative effects in the presentation of schizophrenia, highlighting the complexity of genetic influences. These studies expand our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia."
Dr. Rebecca Ko: "Dr. Ko studied brain cells known as astrocytes, and identified a novel protein that mediates calcium signals in them. Findings revealed that the protein is activated by mechanical force, raising interesting possibilities for the role of astrocytes in conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury."
Dr. Vivian Yin Yin Lam: "Dr. Lam studied the neurobiological basis of mental health problems associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. She found that alcohol exposure increased vulnerability to stress by changing how the brain and endocrine systems regulate emotion and respond to stress. Her work contributes to understanding the connection between early alcohol exposure and mental health."
Dr. Donovan Mervyn Ashby: "Dr. Ashby studied the synaptic and cellular mechanisms that contribute to memory formation. Through his research he described a new role for the weakening of connections between brain cells during the memory formation process."
Dr. Beibei Song: "Dr. Song studied why individuals with Down syndrome inevitably develop Alzheimer's diseases. She discovered a gene overexpressed in Down syndrome that promotes neurodegeneration and supresses neurogenesis. This work provides insights for the development of potential interventions to treat Alzheimer's in Down syndrome by targeting the USP25 gene."
Dr. Fakhri Leila Shafai: "Dr. Shafai studied visual perception in adults with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Results show that the earliest levels of visual processing are typical, but face perception skills were impaired in ASD. There was a correlation between expression perception and social competence, providing insight into potential avenues for intervention."
Dr. Sue-Jin Lin: "Dr. Lin investigated neural communication between brain regions and how these neuronal connections are related to cognitive performance in Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. The research strengthens our understanding of disease effects in neurological diseases and provides insights to treatment development for cognitive impairments."
Dr. Meagan Lea Auger: "Dr. Auger studied how deficits in the neurotransmitter, GABA, within the prefrontal cortex impact upon behavior and patterns of activity throughout the brain. Her research provides insight into how imbalances in this neurotransmitter may be involved in cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders."

Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing)

Dr. Wellam Felix Yu Ko: "Dr. Yu Ko explored the connections between masculinity and radical prostatectomy in the context of men returning to work after being treated for prostate cancer. Findings advance understandings about the processes used by men to secure a graduated return to work post radical prostatectomy and guide the design of gender-sensitive interventions."
Dr. Lynn Corinne Musto: "Dr. Musto explored how Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) acted as moral agents in acute care mental health settings. Her findings highlight the joint responsibility between HCPs and healthcare organizations in providing ethical care by creating relational spaces to explore the impact of policies and practices on people struggling with mental illness."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

Dr. Tianqing Tina Yang: "Dr. Yang used advanced proteomics techniques to characterize cancer drug resistance, and to study the function of a tumour suppressor protein. These studies further our understanding of protein signalling pathways in cancer."
Dr. Kevin Chung-Hua Tsai: "Dr. Tsai studied how the immune system in the gut responds to ingested particles. He found that gut leakiness can impact the development of the immune system. This work furthers our understanding on how ingested particles can potentially shape our immune system to control its responses towards food and the environment."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Dr. Nicole Tsao: "Dr. Tsao studied the safety of treatments for autoimmune diseases when used during pregnancy. Autoimmune diseases occur more frequently in females and untreated disease results in harm to both mothers and offspring. Her research findings show that a group of medications called biologics are safe and effective treatment options during pregnancy."
Dr. Jacob Alexander Brodeur Gordon: "Dr. Gordon studied the importance of altered cholesterol metabolism in advanced prostate cancer. His work established the critical nature of specific cholesterol metabolism proteins in driving cancer proliferation. These findings will further our understanding of cancer biology and aid in the creation of the next generation of cancer therapies."
Dr. Seungil Paik: "Dr. Paik studied the mechanism involved in somatostatin-mediated protection against progression of Alzheimer's disease. He examined the effect of somatostatin on protecting blood brain barrier integrity and neurite stability. The findings from this research may be used in developing a novel therapeutic application in treating Alzheimer's disease."
Dr. Wei-Lun Tang: "Many drugs exhibit poor solubility, limiting their absorption and clinical efficacy. Dr. Tang developed a novel approach using nanotechnology to formulate these drugs with improved solubility. His research work demonstrated the utilities of this approach in delivering these drugs more effectively and safely."

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacology)

Dr. Timothy Fung: "Dr. Fung investigated the potential of using synthetic amino acids for the treatment of pain. His work identified the small molecule, ACBC, as being capable of alleviating responses in various experimental models of pain. These studies assist in the development of much needed new medicines for pain management."
Dr. Yahya Ibrahim Asiri: "Dr. Asiri developed the hypertonic saline analgesia assay, an efficient and inexpensive assay for testing analgesics in mice. He found that the new assay detected a broad range of analgesics using fewer animals compared to conventional assays and did not inflict undue suffering."

Doctor of Philosophy (Physics)

Dr. Qingdi Wang: "Dr. Wang studied one of nature's great puzzles: what is dark energy which causes the accelerating expansion of our Universe? He proposed that dark energy is the vacuum energy of quantum fields, which curve the spacetime in a particular way to drive the accelerating expansion of the Universe. This work is a crucial step towards a theory of everything."
Dr. Gene Polovy: "Dr. Polovy presented the creation, using a specialized sequence of laser pulses, and preliminary lifetime measurements of Lithium-6 molecules that are 1,000,000 times colder than outer space, in several quantum configurations."
Dr. Shadi Balandeh: "Dr. Balandeh developed a routine to grow high-quality single crystals of barium bismuth oxide and studied their electronic structure with x-ray spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations. Barium bismuth oxide family exhibits interesting physical properties including superconductivity. This research showed it is predominantly the oxygen that dictates these interesting physical and electronic behaviors."
Dr. Laurent Chaurette: "Dr. Chaurette studied the infrared sector of quantum field theories. He uncovered a long-time process for the decoherence of charged particles. This research impacts the long-standing black hole information paradox."
Dr. Dagoberto Contreras: "Dr. Contreras investigated claims of a hemispheric asymmetry of power in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), showing some models can be ruled out with the current data, but very sensitive polarization data are required for many others. He also showed that the CMB is consistent with no parity violation at the tightest precision available with current data."
Dr. Steffen Henkelmann: "Dr. Henkelmann searched for heavy quarks, predicted by theories beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics. He analyzed data recorded by the ATLAS detector at CERN and contributed to the determination of the relative spatial position of the inner most measurement devices of the detector, allowing for a successful data taking campaign."

Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science)

Dr. Mohamed Khalfan Saleh Almehairbi: "Dr. Almehairbi examined how the United Nations Secretariat uses their informal authority to persuade member states to award funds to specific departments. This study enables a more accurate understanding of the strategies of non-state actors within international organisations, as well as how and why international organisations expand over time."
Dr. Serbulent Turan: "Dr. Turan asked why people obey political authorities even when obedience goes against their values or interests. By using a historical analysis, he argues that past authorities engineered the socio-political isolation of their subjects to break rebellious communities into obedient individuals. Current practices of obedience reflect this past."
Dr. Priyanjali Balasubramanian: "Dr. Bala-Miller studied institutional investors as a potentially strong but neglected lever for advancing corporate compliance with human rights norms. Addressing the democratic deficits that she identifies within investor-led human rights activism, has the transformative capacity to ensure capital serves the needs of society, rather than the reverse."
Dr. Dominik Andrzej Stecula: "Dr. Stecula examined the relationship between the news media and political polarization on important topics, like climate change, in the United States. He found that the news is increasingly politicized, and that propels polarization. This has implications for how important topics should be covered by the media to avoid political conflict."
Dr. William Robert Plowright: "Why do some armed groups use child soldiers and some let them go? Dr. Plowright's research in Syria and Myanmar shows that certain armed groups will release child soldiers in order to appear more legitimate to international actors."

Doctor of Philosophy (Population and Public Health)

Dr. Douglas Lorne Andrusiek: "Dr. Andrusiek studied the role of 'chain of survival' interventions used for resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He used non-experimental designs and different analytic techniques to identify benefits and harms, and showed that there is a critical need for definitively evaluating these interventions using a randomized trial design."
Dr. Michael Logan Trenaman: "Dr. Trenaman evaluated patient decision aids, which are tools designed to help patients make better quality health care decisions. He found that patient decision aids for individuals considering total hip and knee replacement improved outcomes and reduced costs. His research will help policy makers invest in cost-effective tools for patient-centred care."

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

Dr. Erin Evelyn Buckels: "Dr. Buckels' research explored the psychology of subclinical, everyday sadism. She developed a self-report questionnaire that predicts cruel behaviours such as online trolling, deficits in interpersonal accuracy, and callous judgments about harm and suffering. This research challenges assumptions that sadism is always sexual or criminal in nature."
Dr. Janet Kaldas: "Dr. Kaldas studied perfectionism in patients. She examined how the need to appear perfect impacted patients' interpersonal relations and the process of group psychotherapy. This work can help inform clinicians on how to better attend to and address perfectionistic patients, allowing them to benefit more from psychotherapy."
Dr. Sabrina Chia-Hsuan Chang: "Dr. Chang examined the role of culture in human sexuality. Her research highlighted sexual diversity of minority groups previously assumed to be homogeneous. Findings revealed that mechanisms protecting relationships from infidelity differ between individualistic and collectivist cultures, and demonstrated that unconscious attitudes predict sexual behavior."
Dr. Nicolas Bedo: "Dr. Bedo studied cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on how children's brains develop the ability to read. His research examined how brain networks coordinate to make reading happen and how this differs in kids who struggle with reading. His research offers insights into how reading programs affect brain development and how this training can be improved."
Dr. Thomas Wiens: "Dr. Wiens examined how psychologists can assess management-level job candidates for problematic personality traits and help organizations predict job performance. He also showed how such problematic traits can hinder manager's workplace relationships and disrupt their leadership effectiveness."
Dr. Kimberly Megan Meier: "Dr. Meier studied visual perception in children with typical and atypical development. She discovered that children don't see motion like adults do until they're 16 years old, and that people with "lazy eye" see motion similar to young children. This work has implications for improving vision in children impacted by neurodevelopmental disorders."
Dr. Kirstie Kellman-McFarlane: "Dr. Kellman-McFarlane's research focused on cognitive processes associated with Hoarding Disorder. Her doctoral thesis explored the decision-making process that often causes people who hoard to see parting with possessions as distressing and unreasonable. Her work aims to inform the development of improved psychological treatments for hoarding disorder."
Dr. Mason Manuel Silveira: "Dr. Silveira studied how the brain allocates cognitive effort for lucrative outcomes. His work identified regions and neurotransmitters that bias organisms to put in mental effort for outcomes they want. Such work sheds light on how these processes may be disrupted in disorders characterized by blunted effort exertion, such as depression and schizophrenia."
Dr. Jennifer Campbell: "A longstanding question in the study of language development is how infants understand their first object words. Dr. Campbell found evidence that infants as young as six months have a capacity to learn words with individual scope and words with categorical scope. Her findings reveal a previously undocumented richness in early word comprehension."
Dr. Jennifer Christina Lay: "Dr. Lay studied individuals' thoughts and emotions when in solitude (without social interaction) across cultures. Far from being an inherently lonely experience, she found motivation, older age, and social resources can help us thrive in solitude. Solitude is a multifaceted part of daily life, and her research reveals ways we may reap its benefits."

Doctor of Philosophy (Rehabilitation Sciences)

Dr. Tara Diane Klassen: "Dr. Klassen examined how exercise improves recovery after stroke. Her studies investigated the impact of various exercise intensities and doses on walking and functional recovery in the early phase post stroke. This research will greatly contribute to stroke rehabilitation knowledge and maximizing recovery for individuals who have had a stroke."
Dr. Christopher Donald Napier: "Dr. Napier studied running biomechanics and injury in runners. His work showed that higher braking forces were associated with a significantly increased risk of injury. He subsequently showed that these forces can be reduced through a gait-retraining program, and provided recommendations on how to achieve this in a clinical environment."
Dr. Parisa Ghanouni: "Dr. Ghanouni developed a novel client-centred virtual reality gaming program as a therapeutic intervention for children with autism to enhance their socio-emotional skills. This trans-disciplinary project illuminates the role of community as equal partners with researchers during the design and development of products that can meet end users' needs."

Doctor of Philosophy (Reproductive and Developmental Sciences)

Dr. Li Yinan: "Dr. Li identified gene SRRM4 as a powerful driver and therapeutic target for a special type of drug-resistant prostate cancer. This study provides insights into personalized medicine-based strategies for prostate cancer patients and may guide future development of novel therapeutics for drug-resistant prostate cancer."

Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work)

Dr. Patricia Ann Johnston: "Dr. Johnston worked with Inuit mothers in Nunavut to examine child welfare in relation to changes families experience due to mining in the territory. Her research informs standards, legislation, policies and programs to protect Inuit children and youth in ways that respect and incorporate Inuit culture and traditional knowledge."

Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology)

Dr. Andrea Nicole Polonijo: "Dr. Polonijo studied how income, education, and race-ethnicity shape inequalities in human papillomavirus vaccination. Her research identifies the importance of vaccination policy, mother-daughter communication, and community-focused attitudes for both creating and preventing social inequalities in vaccination among adolescents."
Dr. William Ronald Keats-Osborn: "Dr. Keats-Osborn examined the collaborative work involved in generating works of literary journalism. He clarified how reporters and editors develop conventional procedures by anticipating how their work will be received. His research illustrates important links between the production and consumption of culture."
Dr. Mabel Ho: "What does it mean to live in a multicultural society? Dr. Ho examined how participating in ethnic organizations can help individuals integrate into Canada while maintaining their ties to an ancestral country. Her work demonstrates how organizations facilitate individuals' identity development and foster connections to both the ancestral country and Canada."

Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science)

Dr. Clara Eugenia Roa Garcia: "Soils play a crucial, but often under-estimated, role in the water cycle. Dr. Roa-García analyzed the properties of common soils in the Colombian Andes, and found that nano-particle size minerals increase the ability of these soils to hold and release water. This knowledge informs management practices to optimize water for food and communities."

Doctor of Philosophy (Special Education)

Dr. Tyla Marie Frewing: "Dr. Frewing evaluated three methods for providing rewards when teaching new skills to children with autism spectrum disorder. All participants demonstrated a clear and stable preference for one method over the others. Children's preferences for teaching strategies may inform treatment selection, particularly when two or more strategies are similarly effective."

Doctor of Philosophy (Statistics)

Dr. Daniel Richard Dinsdale: "Dr. Dinsdale developed new statistical methods to improve the prediction of oceanographic measurements, for example water temperature, using data collected by tags attached to marine mammals such as seals. This research helps to improve our understanding of changing ocean dynamics in sparsely sampled areas such as near Antarctica."

Doctor of Philosophy (Theatre)

Dr. Julia Suzanne Henderson: "Dr. Henderson's dissertation is a critical exploration of aging and old age in contemporary, professional Canadian theatre. It investigates recent English-language, Western-based plays, asking how they offer alternatives to stereotypical, negative ways of depicting aging and old age either through aspects of their dramaturgy and/or production."

Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)

Dr. Yvonne Andrea Dzal: "Dr. Dzal's research focused on the physiological responses of mammals in extreme environments. Looking at newborns and adult mammals, she showed that hibernation may have evolved via retention of newborn traits. Her comparative studies enhance our understanding of the adaptations that permit animals to live in extreme environments."
Dr. Matthew Miles Osmond: "Dr. Osmond created and analyzed mathematical models of evolution to ask how genetic adaptation is expected to overcome two challenges: (1) intermediate genotypes are deleterious and (2) rapid environmental change threatens extinction. Both are difficult problems but can be overcome by genetic drift and rapid evolution, respectively."
Dr. Joanna Robin Bernhardt: "Dr. Bernhardt addressed longstanding questions about the abundance and distribution of life on Earth. She showed that the temperature-dependence of population dynamics can be predicted from the temperature-dependence of individual metabolism, lending strong support for the role of energetic constraints in governing population growth and abundance."
Dr. Till Sebastian Harter: "How do fish transport oxygen in the blood? Dr. Harter's work describes a special mechanism in salmon that enhances oxygen unloading to the exercising muscles. Thus, salmon hearts need to pump less blood, which may be central to their iconic spawning migrations. This mechanism may apply to most fishes, a group that comprises half of all vertebrates."

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Accounting)

Dr. Lei Zhang: "Dr. Zhang examined the financial reporting of foreign firms and foreign auditors in the U.S. He found that foreign firms are subject to less frequent monitoring than U.S. firms and foreign auditors provide quality as good as the U.S. non-Big4 auditors. Findings address recent concern over the quality of foreign auditors practicing in the U.S."

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Transportation & Logistics)

Dr. Kun Wang: "Dr. Wang analyzed the pricing, competition and investment issues in the transportation industry. His research contributes to a better understanding of the economic impact and the interactions of new transport modes, such as high-speed rail or low-cost airlines. It also has policy implications for transport development in emerging countries such as China."

Doctor of Philosophy in Music (Emphasis Musicology)

Dr. Daniel Sakari Mahlberg: "Dr. Mahlberg explored the biography and works of the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja who lived from 1887-1947. This study, the first of its kind in English, considers Madetoja in light of issues of national identity and politics, and provides an overview of his place and musical contributions in the context of European musical culture."
Dr. Antares Leah Boyle: "Dr. Boyle examined the role of repetition in a selection of postmodern compositions, proposing new theoretical principles for understanding the perception of musical segments. Her work expands on previous discussions of musical form by explaining not only the emergence of closed segments, but also of more open forms and processes."

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