Convocation November 2024

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership and Policy)

• Dr. Poirier examines the role of university practitioners responsible for engaging with local communities. His study is one of the first to look at the roles, tensions, and perspectives that mark the life of such practitioners within Canadian universities. His research adds to dialogue around how public universities can best fulfill their mission.
• Dr. Johnson’s research analyzed the caring practices of women in higher education leadership in Canada and the U.S. through phenomenological analysis, highlighting the political nature of caring and the challenges women, especially from marginalized groups, face. Findings benefit institutions fostering authentic and inclusive leadership.
• Dr. Gledhill used timeline life history methodology to examine the concept of trust for women principals in secondary schools in Canada. She developed a visual metaphor based on mycorrhizal threads to explain how trust builds or declines within a gendered substructure. Her research provides insight into ways principals can build trust and recognize low-trust situations.

Doctor of Musical Arts (Composition)

• Dr. Freitas wrote the musical composition 'My Madness' for soprano and small orchestra as his final thesis. The work sets to music two excepts from the poem The Moral Fibrature of the Ipiranga by Mário de Andrade. The work is a tribute to Andrade and a homage to all artists and intellectuals who promoted The Modern Art Week of 1922 in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Dr. Knight's work looks at the author's personal lived experiences of gender and sexuality through the lens of an original music composition that tackles these issues and presents them in a new way for audiences to engage with. The music explores virtuosity in vocal writing with the addition of movement interwoven into the music to aid in expression.

Doctor of Musical Arts (Piano)

• Dr. Tonita bridged the gap between feminist theory, political philosophy, and piano performance. Her research highlights the oppression women in music have faced throughout history and offers pianists--female and beyond--opportunities to reclaim agency by using the physical voice in the concert space.
• Dr. Marković's work examines Miloje Milojević’s piano music, focusing on his incorporation of Serbian folk elements, Western classical forms, and modernist trends. It offers a deeper understanding of 20th-century Serbian piano music. The insights gained will aid future pianists in interpreting these underrepresented compositions.

Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology)

• Dr. Osing's doctoral research focuses on three types of markers on the skeletal body to explore activity patterns of the late Shang peoples at Yinxu, China. She provided insights into how the body adapts to daily life practices and how it can be shaped by divisions of labour. This research offers a new avenue into analyzing the social dynamics at Yinxu.
• Dr. Hak Hepburn argued that paying attention to the social relations people maintain with trees and forests provided insight into environmental governance. By following Peruvian Amazonian relations with land, timber, trees, seeds and forests, her work brings a new and nuanced understanding of tropical deforestation and restoration practices.
• Dr. Pegorer studied how a group of recent migrants experienced the city of Berlin, Germany, during two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. By focusing on Berlin's atmospheres, she showed how these people strived to make sense of the contrast between their attachment to the city, their home country, and the expectations associated with their identity as migrants.

Doctor of Philosophy (Asian Studies)

• Dr. Eshghi Furuzawa analyzed Japanese short stories from the By Women, For Women R-18 Literary Prize. Through an examination of the historical role of governments, publishers and libraries in managing access to sexual writing, she argues that the prize stories represent a source of sexual knowledge and empowerment that challenge chastity ideals.
• Dr. Blum analyzed the transformation of plants into humans in premodern Japanese short fiction. She showed that plant characters offered religious and educational messages to readers and listeners while providing entertainment and the novelty of the supernatural.Her work provides new insights into the matrix of Buddhism and popular culture in that period.
• Dr. Ze examined Sino-Korean relations in the late nineteenth century as seen through case studies involving Chinese merchants on the Korean peninsula. By analyzing a series of case studies, her research provided insights into the transition of regional order from a tributary system to the world order of international law in the late nineteenth century.
• Dr. Hanlon’s research investigated several poetry matches from tenth- to twelfth-century Japan. His research examined matches with clever riddles, sassy love poems, and political drama, provided insight into the history of Japanese poetic games, and included translations and explanations for 140 waka poems.
• Dr. Sembi studied the Suraj Prakash (1843), a pivotal historical narrative on the lives of the Sikh Gurus. The study revealed how precolonial Sikh scholars were engaged with diverse transreligious philosophical and mythological currents, contributing to the understanding of Sikh history and its methods prior to colonial influence.

Doctor of Philosophy (Astronomy)

• A particular subset of dead stars emits periodic pulsed emission, called pulsars. Dr. Dong developed new tools for analysing the individual pulses from these enigmatic sources. He also details the discovery of a new long-period transient source discovered by the CHIME instrument, leading to advancements in this burgeoning field.

Doctor of Philosophy (Atmospheric Science)

• Dr. Oh used numerical simulations of the atmosphere to examine how clouds form, develop, and influence the Earth's atmosphere, and developed mathematical models of the dynamics of moist convection. His research advances our understanding of the behaviour of boundary-layer clouds and will help develop more accurate models of the atmosphere.

Doctor of Philosophy (Audiology and Speech Sciences)

• Auditory Brainstem Response audiometry is the typical method for estimating hearing thresholds in infants. New stimuli called narrowband chirps (NBchirps) may elicit larger responses than traditional stimuli. However, Dr. Adjekum's research indicates that NBchirps have a wider spectral content, leading to responses from broader cochlear regions, wh

Doctor of Philosophy (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

• Dr. Kenward characterized crucial viral proteins and mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2, revealing core features of its cysteine protease and identifying potential antiviral targets. This work advances our understanding of the virus's lifecycle and aids in the development of resilient therapeutics against COVID-19 and future viral threats.
• Dr. Grin discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 main protease is secreted from cells, and identified its mechanism of secretion. He also showed that this protease cleaves specific interferons to dampen our antiviral responses. These findings advance our understanding of how viruses escape from immune responses to replicate and spread infections.

Doctor of Philosophy (Bioinformatics)

• Dr. Radaeva advanced the fight against cancer by using computer-aided drug discovery to develop inhibitors targeting difficult-to-drug protein-nucleic acid interactions. Her research expands the possibilities for treating cancers driven by previously inaccessible proteins.
• Dr. Hafezqorani developed computational tools to characterize, simulate, and analyze RNA-sequencing data using machine learning techniques. His research provides high-throughput solutions to study RNA and transcriptome. These contributions provide essential resources for future advancements in biological and medical research.
• Dr. McLaughlin used evolutionary analyses of SARS-CoV-2 to quantify impacts of COVID-19 travel restrictions on viral importations and averted case burden. These HIV analyses revealed heterogeneous impact of pre-exposure prophylaxis on transmission across BC phylogenetic clusters. Genomic epidemiology informs epidemic policy and response.
• Dr. Morin’s research focused on the regulation of gene expression in mammals. He analyzed thousands of genomic datasets across different methodologies in order to identify regulatory interactions supported across diverse studies. His work contributes to our understanding of gene activity and organizes this information into a community resource.
• Dr. Chinchani studied the effects of non-invasive electrical stimulation on brain waves and behavior, identifying conditions that maximize its effectiveness. His work may lead to the development of novel treatments to improve psychiatric symptoms and enhance the quality of life for individuals with mental illnesses.
• Dr. Chu studied co-expression analysis, a computational method for analyzing gene regulatory circuitry and complex human diseases. He showed that the classical interpretation of co-expression is deeply flawed. This work emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing widely-held assumptions and offers recommendations for future studies of gene regulation.

Doctor of Philosophy (Biomedical Engineering)

• Dr. Yousefi Darestani developed an intelligent ureteral stent for wireless kidney pressure monitoring, enabling early detection of hydronephrosis. He successfully tested his device on an ex vivo swine kidney-ureter model, confirming its effectiveness and potential to advance diagnostics and therapy in urology.
• During the progression of Osteoarthritis, a common joint disease, the joint cartilage wears down, causing pain, swelling, and joint stiffness that gets in the way of everyday activities. The overall goal of Dr. Jones' work was to learn more about how changes in the hip bone are related to changes in hip joint cartilage using specialized medical imaging techniques.
• Dr. Bliven investigated the biomechanics of strengthening the femur with an orthopaedic implant and applied high-speed x-ray to collect new visual data in a fall impact. This research lays the groundwork for developing better implants to prevent hip fracture and provides new insights into how the hip responds to falls after getting these implants.
• Endoscopic optical imaging uses optical fibers to reach and detect early cancer in the deep organs of the body. Dr. Tanskanen focused on manipulating the physics of optical fibers to improve these devices. His research resulted in a clearer, and more holistic visualization of early lung cancer, and set the foundation for novel devices in the future.

Doctor of Philosophy (Botany)

• Dr. Paajanen explored the historical ecology and species hybridization in the endangered endemic flora of Saint Helena island in the South Atlantic Ocean. These studies help us understand the human induced vegetation changes on oceanic islands and the role of hybridization in the evolution and conservation of the world's diverse botanical heritage.
• Dr. Wang identified three immune regulators functioning downstream of immune receptor SNC2 and emphasizes the importance of homeostasis control of key immune regulator BDA1 in Arabidopsis. These findings provide advanced understanding on how plants regulate defense responses and may inform the sustainable solutions to crop protection.
• Dr. Garen investigated the effects of temperature on plant carbon metabolism and water use. His work identified a key role for thermal acclimation in controlling plant growth, and he developed improved methods of measuring leaf physiological rates. His work helped to advance fundamental ecological theory and inform global modelling efforts.
• Dr. Urquhart-Cronish studied existing knowledge gaps between theoretical and empirical investigations of species' range expansion. Her work provides a better understanding for how range expansion in ecologically complex simulated and natural environments can shape spatial patterns in biodiversity we see today.
• Dr. Li identified the genes and biosynthetic regulations that drive the development of the specialized plant cell types that synthesize and store the myrosinase enzyme catabolizing glucosinolates. These findings provide the foundation for exploring mustard-oil-bomb systems in other crucifer plants, especially for economically important Canola crop in Canada.
• Dr. Cho investigated the evolutionary history of a group of eukaryotes called stramenopiles, by describing new species, morphologies, genomic relationships, symbionts, and distribution. These studies resolved previously contentious or unknown relationships among stramenopiles advancing our understanding of their complex evolutionary history.

Doctor of Philosophy (Cell and Developmental Biology)

• Dr. Chu investigated insulin producing pancreatic beta cells, which help maintain blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes. He found that the production of insulin can vary and fluctuate from cell to cell. His work furthers our understanding of diabetes pathology and introduces new methods for controlling insulin production in beta cells.
• Dr. Henriquez examined the dentition of adult leopard geckos, which continuously replace their teeth throughout life. He found dental stem cells in the dentition of leopard geckos and cells responsible for resorbing the tooth roots so teeth can be shed. These experiments could be used to selectively block unwanted tooth resorption and engineer biological tooth replacements in humans.

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical and Biological Engineering)

• Dr. Kritharis developed a novel cell-free protein synthesis system (CFPS) for the production of vaccines. He demonstrated that life-saving components can be produced with CFPS. In addition, he significantly reduced the cost of CFPS paving the way for cheaper vaccines with greater access for the developing world.
• Dr. Niu studied the fundamental mechanisms of self-assembly of betulin, a birch bark extract, along with its interfacial behavior and the structure-property correlations that are expected to enable new material designs suitable for various applications and signify a contribution to advanced green platforms for the bark-based circular bioeconomy.
• Dr. Sharma’s research focused on bio-electrochemical fuel cells and their application in remediating hazardous acid rock waste. He explored scaling up this technology to recover critical metals from the waste, contributing to the idea of a circular economy. His work is significant in accelerating deployment of this technology in mining operations.
• Dr. Daemi applied Gaussian Processes and Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis in transfer learning. She introduced three novel methods for extracting domain invariant features. These methods have been validated through multiple case studies, demonstrating their efficacy in real-world process monitoring and soft sensor design.
• Dr. Jameson’s research focused on electrochemical energy storage and generation. He developed, constructed, and tested high-performance rechargeable iodine-based redox flow batteries. His research contributes to global energy management and furthering the viability of renewable energy.

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemistry)

• Dr. Zuo’s pioneering research advanced our understanding of titin, a crucial muscle protein. By developing novel two-molecule force spectroscopy (TMFS), he revealed how mutations, misfolding, and oxidative stress affect titin mechanics. His work has deep implications for muscle function and cardiomyopathy research.
• Dr. Krause studied how molecules on the surface of nanoparticles affect the interactions of those nanoparticles with human enzymes. She developed methods to tune enzyme-nanoparticle interactions and to detect targeted enzymes with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Her work will enable the future use of nanoparticles in medical diagnostics.
• Molecules often come together or self-assemble using weak bonds to form ordered structures, but controlling their sizes and shapes on self-assembly is challenging. Dr. Das Gupta investigated specific metal compounds that self-assemble into precise, controlled nanostructures with promising potential for catalytic and photochemical applications.
• Dr. Zhang's doctoral work focused on the mechanism study of phosphorus polymer materials. It resulted in a a competing cyclization-decyclization and isomerization-addition steps in the polymerization. These findings will benefit the future study of these novel phosphorus containing polymers which could potentially be used in fire retardant materials.
• Dr. Vacariu synthesized substrates for the study of “AmpG”, a membrane transport protein critical to the induction of bacterial antibiotic resistance. These substrates were used to demonstrate the first ever binding interactions for “AmpG” outside the bacterial environment and will be used to map the parts of “AmpG” responsible for its function.
• Dr. Scott's research resulted in a first-of-its-kind efficient method to chemically transform inexpensive commodity plastics into high value functional amine-containing materials. These materials have potential implications for improved plastic recycling, in addition to being suitable for medical and carbon capture applications.
• Dr. Lozada developed fluorescent PET tracers used for cancer imaging and fluorescent guided surgery. His work improved the design of new diagnostic tracers with trifluoroborates for use in clinical studies. He also discovered new ways to fluorinate boronic acids for applications in PET imaging. His work impacted the design of 18F-based diagnostics.
• Dr. Daniel-Ivad's work characterized discreet steps in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic natural products reductasporine and capuramycin produced by soil bacteria. These add context to the evolution of challenging chemical reactions in nature and expand the tools available to engineered chemistry in commercial pharmaceutical production.

Doctor of Philosophy (Cinema and Media Studies)

• Dr. Krueper investigates the transformative impact of live streaming on political discourse, emphasizing its potential to foster community engagement and empower marginalized voices. He argues that this medium facilitates a more accessible and participatory political landscape as it challenges traditional media hierarchies, enabling diverse perspectives.

Doctor of Philosophy (Civil Engineering)

• Dr. Sampara investigated approaches to optimize wastewater treatment. He demonstrated approaches to integrate process modelling and microbial community traits, and developed tools to quantify microbial activity. His work advances our understanding of biological wastewater treatment process design and operation to ensure a healthy environment.
• Dr. Fukuda developed advanced supported liquid membranes for the efficient recovery of medium-chain fatty acids from organic waste. His work enhances sustainable waste management by converting waste into valuable biochemicals, providing a practical solution to environmental pollution and supporting the circular economy.
• Dr. Abouali advanced the numerical simulation of progressive damage and failure in composites by developing a physics-informed neural network for calibration of a damage-plasticity material model. Her research enhances the accuracy of damage predictions and improves the reliability of composite structure designs.
• Dr. Jayasinghe studied mechanical behavior of organic soils for engineering design of buried energy pipelines. She developed reliable methods to assess soil-pipe interactions in organic soils. The methodologies developed in her research can be applied to similar soils globally contributing to multi-faceted pipeline engineering problems.

Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science)

• Dr. Harvey developed machine learning models which generate and edit images and video. His work had a particular focus on enabling the same model to be used for many different editing tasks. Potential applications include editing films and developing controllers for robots.
• Dr. Sun's research focused on incorporating physical knowledge into AI models to enhance their transparency and interpretability. His findings demonstrate that integrating physical principles can significantly improve the performance of deep neural networks, particularly in the context of 3D deep learning.
• Dr. Bucci developed interfaces to create meaningful interactions between computers and people using a variety of sensors and artificial intelligence approaches. Through multiple projects, he detected emotions through brainwave and touch-based data, and designed an interactive meaning-based document organization system for qualitative research of millions of documents.
• Dr. Tanzila has significantly advanced machine learning by developing multimodal neural networks that can understand images and videos at a high level, even with limited data. Her research focuses on teaching machine learning models to perceive the world through multiple senses, similar to how humans do. She has also contributed to multimodal generative models to address data ambiguity.
• Dr. Bradley examined the extraneous work software developers perform to coordinate their tools. He investigated how information already present within tools can act as a task context to ease developers' tool coordination effort. Future tools can use this task context to proactively assist developers complete their tasks more productively.
• Dr. Zarkoob used various AI techniques to design peer grading systems that incentivize truthfulness and accurately aggregate grades, a novel reviewer-paper matching approach to improve review quality and resource efficiency, and developed a web-based participation tool to encourage active participation from students of diverse demographics.
• Dr. Kunstner studied optimization for machine learning. His work develops new algorithms that automatically adapt to the problem and identifies bottlenecks in the training of deep learning models. These advances support the development of more efficient machine learning systems that take less human efforts to tune.
• Dr. Sanches Portella studied how to predict the future and keep secrets, mathematically speaking. He developed new online prediction algorithms and novel results on the limits of privacy-preserving data analysis. His findings may lead to more efficient optimization procedures and stronger cost-benefit analyses for private statistical estimation.
• Dr. Araújo designed novel algorithms empowering amateur users to easily customize 3D digital content for use in virtual platforms or the physical world via 3D fabrication. His work lays a strong foundation for solving complex shape-editing problems and plays a pivotal role in the broader adoption of virtual platforms and 3D fabrication technologies.
• Dr. Orabi studied and developed computational methods for analysing bioinformatics data, with a special focus on RNA and DNA sequencing technologies. His main contributions include designing and testing novel algorithms for detecting alternative splicing using long-read RNA sequencing without relying on existing annotation databases.

Doctor of Philosophy (Counselling Psychology)

• Dr. Della-Rossa's research investigated the experiences of middle-aged immigrant women who changed their careers later in life. She found that help and support from various sources and personal characteristics were instrumental in successful transitions. Her findings contribute to the body of knowledge about immigration, adaptation, women in career issues, and career transitions.
• How do adoptees make meaning of their sense of self in relation to what they know about their families of origin? Dr. Bork’s research indicates that adoptees are informed by the intergenerational knowledge of the particular family line they feel most embraced by. Her research helps us understand how to better support adoptees and their families.

Doctor of Philosophy (Craniofacial Science)

• Dr. Lin applied novel visualization techniques to profile oral premalignant lesions and address existing uncertainties regarding inflammation in the early stages of malignant transformation and how this translates to oral cancer risk.

Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum Studies)

• Dr. Morimoto created an arts-based study walking with 12 features in the Nitobe Memorial Garden. With the a/r/tographic proposition of art practice as research, the work lingered in conversations with the intellectual life history of Ted Aoki to speculate on the pedagogical potential of art and love for curriculum theory and art education research.
• Dr. Mosavarzadeh’s arts-based educational research investigates the interplay between Making and Place a/r/tographically. Rooted in the co-walking and co-making practices of four artist-researcher-teachers, the work invites a (re)imagination of artful and pedagogical possibilities for making one's place in the world.
• Dr. Allen found that students hold nuanced perspectives about learning technical writing in computer science and that their experiences of this learning are influenced by their communities in various and complex ways. Her work may impact curricula and adds to the understanding of students' experiences and perspectives in learning communicative skills.
• Dr. O’Sullivan explored how quality is experienced by youth in community music making and learning contexts in Ireland. She observed Positive Youth Development in action and generated new quality touchstones. Through evocative stories, this study communicates how experiences that promote freedom, friendship, and community are integral to quality.

Doctor of Philosophy (Economics)

• Dr. Catalano showed how a suite of machine learning algorithms must be adapted in order to estimate a statistical model known as a partition model. This research complements the preponderance of theoretical research that fashions these algorithms as black box algorithms and allows for more geometrically flexible partitions.
• Dr. Angeli used field experiments and economic theory to study the labor market, social media, and social coordination. He has shown how holding pessimistic beliefs about discrimination can make it harder for someone to find a job, implying that policies addressing labor market discrimination should also consider effects on jobseekers' beliefs.
• Dr. Bonomo studied issues related to health and political economy consequences of environmental deterioration in the context of a developing country to see whether public healthcare can play a role in mitigating adverse effects, and the effectiveness of social policies aimed at poor pregnant women such as prenatal care and financial support.
• Dr. Duan developed a quantitative method to identify people's valuation for commuting costs, with implications on workers' job search and residential location choice. His research illuminates the frictional nature of local labor markets. This framework is subsequently applied to study firms' and workers' responses to tax policies.
• Dr. Gyetvay studied how the sorting of workers across firms shapes the impacts of immigration on the labor market. He finds that the segregation of immigrant workers plays an important role in moderating the effects on wages in receiving labour markets.
• Dr. Peters' research quantified key factors that impact the effectiveness of environmental regulations in the maritime shipping and agricultural sectors. His work highlights the importance of accounting for the complex interactions between firm behaviour, technology, and markets when developing environmental policy.
• Dr. Brown analyzed the long-run effects of historical Bible translations in Africa. Areas where the Bible was translated demonstrate today higher literacy rates and improved child health outcomes. Bible translations broke down language barriers leading to an influx of missionaries and infrastructure while promoting the language for use in schools.
• Dr. Karimirad's research illuminates the effects of financial frictions and supply chain disruptions on firm default risk. His studies reveal how limited liability constraints cause economic distortions, identify key factors behind rising corporate yield spreads, and highlight the impact of supply chain disruptions on financial stability.
• Dr. Gomez-Cardona examined the accumulation of financial literacy and its role in households' portfolios. He found that people learn by investing in financial assets and benefit from financial education by having more access to liquidity when needed. His research highlights new ways in which financial education improves household welfare.
• Dr. Rojas-Bernal showed that the distributional reallocation of expenditure across households affects an economy's output through the reallocation of resources across firms. He does this for an environment with general connectivity between firms and household heterogeneity in income and expenditure.

Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Dr. Wu developed compact multimodal multiphoton microscopes for biomedical imaging. Volumetric 2- and 3-photon imaging is achieved with a fiber laser and miniaturized scanners and optics which can be integrated into a handheld imaging probe. This research brings the technology closer to clinical applications.
• Dr. Mehajabin's research advances Light Field technology by addressing key challenges in video compression, refocusing, and quality assessment. Her innovative contributions enhance immersive media and virtual reality experiences, and provide more accurate and reliable visual data for the self driving car industry, camera guided surgeries, and microscopy.
• The electron energy distribution plays a vital role in the performance of electron emitter. Dr. Chang studied the thermal emission from various materials, identifying the link between experimental energy distributions and the electronic properties of the emitters. His findings unveil new strategies for developing high-performance electron emitters.
• Dr. Khalifa developed new kinds of superconducting quantum devices. Due to their versatility, these devices can enable the development of new quantum technologies for computing and sensing.
• Dr. Gholami studied the problem of 3D human pose estimation. He proposed a framework utilizing multi-view images for training and reducing reliance on annotated data. Additionally, he proposed novel methods for synthetic data generation. He also studied the practical application of 3D pose estimation in monitoring Parkinson’s patients.
• Dr. Chi studied distributed and collaborative machine learning approaches that enable stakeholders to share insights encapsulated in knowledge graphs. Her work emphasized data privacy, security, and integrity in collaborations. Her research enhances the practicality of collaborative machine learning and promotes cross-domain knowledge sharing.
• Dr. Darabi developed novel resource allocation schemes for eMBB and URLLC use cases in 5G and beyond networks. He investigated enabling technologies like intelligent reflecting surface and rate-splitting multiple access to address diverse users' QoS needs. His work offers insights into challenges and solutions for next-generation cellular networks.
• Dr. Penner fabricated, tested and successfully characterised a cost-efficient optical fibre-based multi-point sensing system for proton and proton FLASH radiotherapy. The organic scintillator and optical fibre arrays have potential to increase safety of these modalities and, in the future, further enable clinical access.
• Dr. Shah's doctoral work focused on energy-efficient compute acceleration for autonomous robotics. In her work, she proposed hardware-algorithm co-design approaches for robot perception and motion planning.
• Dr. Pinilla developed new theory and practices for the algorithms and tools necessary to bring quantum computing to a utility scale. His contributions improve the utilization of resources in quantum annealers, which translates into better quality solutions for optimization and quantum-assisted machine learning applications.
• Dr. Hammer investigated the optimal printed circuit board design for novel Wide-Bandgap power semiconductors in renewable energy, battery, and e-mobility applications. His work introduces the paradigm-changing multi-pulse driving sequence, enabling advanced control of power semiconductors for extremely efficient power conversion applications.
• Dr. Zhou contributed to light-matter interaction with polarization imaging and quantifications for biophotonics and biomedical research.
• Dr. Mishra's research involves designing integrated circuits for power-efficient and high-speed communication. He has developed power amplifiers that support high symbol rates in wireless communication and developed circuits and techniques that produce fast and accurate clocks for sampling high-speed data in wireline communication.
• Dr. Afifi’s doctoral studies focused on light processing silicon microchips that can generate and filter quantum states of light. He developed photonic integrated circuits to generate quantum light for quantum information processing applications. His findings contribute to scaling up photonic quantum computing and secure communication systems.

Doctor of Philosophy (English)

• Dr. Malloy developed a framework for listening to what she calls "weak hope" in contemporary song lyrics: realistic, ethical hope assembled from beyond the margins of conventional sources of strength. Listening for weak hope, she argues, can help people make it through and beyond trauma.
• Dr. Drzazgowski studied pilgrimage literature that was written in 14th/15th-century England. Her dissertation examined a type of writing that she refers to as “imagined pilgrimage literature,” which helped readers undergo pilgrimages in their minds, rather than with their feet. This practice enjoyed a surprising revival during the pandemic.
• Dr. Jackson studied the cognitive processes that produce meaning in cinema. He explored how sounds and images are understood at a conceptual level, revealing how we combine information from several channels of expression. His research advances our understanding of cognition, narrative, and multimodal communication.

Doctor of Philosophy (Experimental Medicine)

• Dr. Vikulova studied risk factors and barriers to preventing early-onset heart disease. She found that many young adults are unaware of their high risk and do not get preventive treatment and that screening first-degree relatives of patients with early-onset heart disease may help identify those at high risk and those with silent plaques in heart blood vessels to initiate preventive therapy timely.
• Dr. Ghaffari investigated the properties of a ruthenium photosensitizer embedded in various implantable polymeric biomaterials which showed significant reduction in bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. This is crucial for reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and dental plaque formation that leads to dental caries.
• Dr. Wardell showed that engineered immune cells can protect transplanted tissue and guard against autoimmunity. Her studies lay part of the groundwork for bringing this cell therapy to the clinic.
• Dr. Rafizadeh's work investigated the comparative effectiveness of clozapine versus other antipsychotics in improving outcomes related to non-nicotine substance use disorders, which commonly co-occurs with schizophrenia. It also explored factors influencing clozapine metabolism to tailor dosing for individuals and mitigate potential side effects.
• Dr. He's research identified blood and cell-specific gene signatures associated with patient survival and specific subtypes of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (a.k.a. ILD). These results provide a foundation for developing peripheral biomarkers, which are needed to reduce diagnostic delays and improve clinical management of ILDs.
• Dr. Kobelev studied how epigenetic changes contribute to treatment resistance in late stage prostate cancer. He identified that prostate cancer is epigenetically predisposed to switch its identity to resist treatment, and identified novel factors regulating this process.

Doctor of Philosophy (Food Science)

• Dr. Cheung investigated the structure and function of an antimicrobial plant protein domain using molecular modeling. She identified specific structural components that govern how the protein associates with membranes, gaining insights that deepen current understanding of the ubiquitous protein and accelerate the development for novel applications.

Doctor of Philosophy (Forestry)

• Dr. Carbeck's research examined how species adapt to environmental challenges across space and time. Using song sparrows as a model system, she found that genetic adaptation, range shifts, and migration enable populations to cope with rapid climate change. Her findings improve predictions that guide conservation strategies in a changing environment.
• Dr. Nuijten evaluated drone remote sensing technologies for assessing recovering forest ecosystems. His research demonstrated methods to analyze structure and plant type composition, identified other ecosystem attributes derivable from drone data, and highlighted ways to simplify analysis, improve accuracies, and lower data acquisition costs.
• Genetic differences among trees from different locations make them physically adapted to local environments, but vulnerable to climate change. Dr. Grubinger used drones, laser scanning, and multispectral imagery to quantify traits related to climate adaptation in genetic field trials of conifers, revealing novel patterns in genetic adaptation and establishing a proof-of-concept for drone phenotyping.
• Dr. Bassett studied how to achieve urban sustainability goals, from mitigating urban heat to managing stormwater to creating wildlife habitat, through management of urban forests. She concluded that day-to-day management decisions are disconnected from sustainability planning and the urban foresters should be empowered to better align decisions with the sustainability goals cities need.
• Dr. Hua researched chemical modification routes for creating bio-based polymer materials from lignin. He developed a sustainable method to use the modified lignin in producing food packaging films and carbon fibers.
• Dr. Quinton studied how urban greening and gentrification become connected in Canadian cities. Her research has shown that current approaches to greening contribute to upholding inequitable patterns in the distribution of urban vegetation.
• Dr. Guevara Rozo studied the biosynthesis of mannan in the cell walls of woody plants. By identifying and modifying genes linked to mannan production, she demonstrated that mannan can be altered without affecting plant growth. Her work provides valuable insights into how we can modify plant cell walls to enhance biofuel and biomaterials production.
• Dr. Vasquez-Fernandez was invited by Amazonian Indigenous Peoples to conduct community-led projects to inform and transform disrespectful public policies affecting the Amazon. It led to a unique Interculturally Respectful Methodology, and a proposal for the practice of "intercultural respect" since this concept considers also as "persons" certain animals, plants, sacred places, and spirits
• Dr. Barragan's research on forest restoration planning identified key factors for achieving socio-ecological goals, assessed tree resilience to climate change, involved local communities in site prioritization, and facilitated knowledge sharing for lasting benefits to people and nature. Her work can inform global restoration practices and policies.
• Dr. Schild investigated recycling options for wood composites that would otherwise be discarded. She showed that the use of sensor-technologies could enable for reliable differentiation of waste wood, that could then be used to manufacture cement-bonded wood panels, facilitating a transition toward more sustainable wood material industry practices.
• Dr. Pineda used a multi-scale approach to develop a computational model to simulate the consolidation of engineered bamboo composites during manufacturing. The model can be used to reduce the time and energy consumption of the manufacturing process of engineered bamboo composites and can be adapted to other engineered wood products.

Doctor of Philosophy (Genome Science and Technology)

• Dr. Saber investigated how different host factors influence the maturation of transplanted stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells. She found that cell function was enhanced in female recipients, and when the cells were encased in devices for subcutaneous transplant. Her findings further inform the clinical use of stem cell therapy for diabetes.
• Dr. Hofmann used high-throughput microscopy, machine learning and creative visualizations to map protein changes in yeast cells to look at how membrane contact site proteins change localization. Additionally, she conducted teaching research and explored the attitudes of undergraduate biology students towards biology and math.
• T cells play a pivotal role in human immunity. Dr. Zhu shows that the differentially regulated chromatin states in the T cells from newborns and leukemia patients could impair T-cell differentiation, resulting in immune deficiency or cancer. Her research reveals putative targets for therapy to restore the immune function of these impaired T cells.

Doctor of Philosophy (Geography)

• Dr. Gámez studied how Indigenous communities of Mexico City organize independently to defend their territories and right to self-determination.

Doctor of Philosophy (Geophysics)

• Dr. Littel studied earthquakes in various regions of western British Columbia to learn more about the tectonics and earthquake source processes of these areas.

Doctor of Philosophy (Germanic Studies)

• Dr. Milewski's research focuses on the poetry of seventeenth-century German author Gertrud Möller and especially the songbooks that she published in collaboration with composer Johann Sebastiani. This work advances existing scholarship on Baroque song culture and the creative practices of female authors of this early modern period.

Doctor of Philosophy (Hispanic Studies)

• Dr. Robles studied changing perceptions of nature and culture in Southern Cone narratives, focusing on Pampas and Patagonia from the 19th to 21st centuries. He argues that views shifted from transforming nature to defending it due to increasing human intervention, once seen as minimal but now viewed as significant, sparking a push for protection.

Doctor of Philosophy (History)

• Dr. John showed that the division between loggers and environmentalists over old growth forests has been created by mass media marketing and forest industry publicity campaigns. Environmentalism has been a part of woodworker cultures on South Vancouver Island since the early twentieth century, the "War in the Woods" was partially constructed by forces wishing to splinter a united front between forest workers and eco-activists.
• Dr. Molnar examined how Goryeo Korea became globally integrated through human and material mobilities into China, the Eurasian steppe, and the larger world of maritime exchange during the Mongol Empire that linked Korea with southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. This work shows that Goryeo Korea was an active participant in the Mongols' imperial project.

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

• Dr. Gómez studied supervised practicum in early childhood teacher education programs in Chile. She identified a range of ways of conceiving supervision during practicum held by university supervisors. Her findings provide insights into the supervision of pre-service teachers, a central yet understudied component of learning to teach.

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

• Dr. Litzow conducted research in environmental and development economics, specifically studying how environmental change affects populations in low-income settings. She documented how pollution and economic crises negatively affect educational and labor market outcomes and highlighted the need for careful policy design to slow environmental change.

Doctor of Philosophy (Interdisciplinary Oncology)

• Dr. Sun believed that in order to cure cancer, one must first create cancer. She genetically modified human blood stem cells to express all possible combinations of four cancer-causing genes. She discovered both individual and cooperative contributions of these genes to the malignant transformation of normal cells into leukemic cells.
• Dr. Banville studied B cells in the context of the immune response to ovarian cancer. She defined tumour-associated B cell reactivity patterns and discovered novel target antigens. Her findings suggest multi-faceted roles for B cells in anti-tumour immunity which will ultimately guide the development of more effective cancer immunotherapies.
• Dr. Wang investigated the effect of DNA-PK inhibition when combined with Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy for solid tumor treatment. His findings revealed DNA-PK as a therapeutic target to enhance the potency of conventional cancer therapies and suggested a selective tumor-targeting strategy is needed to exploit the full potential of DNA-PK inhibitors.
• Dr. Fraser studied Transmembrane Protease, Serine-2, a human protein present in the airways that is exploited by coronaviruses and influenza viruses for efficient viral infection. He discovered a method to isolate this protein, determine its 3-dimensional molecular structure, and pioneer drug development campaigns for novel respiratory antivirals.
• Dr. Gopal studied how different signals are altered in blood cells and surrounding cells within the bone marrow of Myelodysplastic syndrome and Acute myeloid leukemia patients. The findings from this research lead to the identification of a potential new biomarker to predict therapy response.

Doctor of Philosophy (Interdisciplinary Studies)

• Dr. Fleming examined the relationship between overdose vulnerability and low-income housing environments in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. This research provides important insights into the role of safe, secure, and habitable housing in addressing the overdose crisis.
• Dr. Timler's Participatory Action Research co-built food justice community with and for paroled women in BC. Findings highlight how qualitative processes, academic privilege and food-based praxis can be leveraged for anti-carceral collectivity. Findings benefit activist researchers, practitioners and criminalized people working to confront inequities.
• Dr. Fong's research examines the representation of Asian Canadians in museums today. By analyzing the experiences of community leaders, museum staff and visitors, she argues for the importance of community-centered curating in helping museums become more inclusive and welcoming spaces.
• Dr. Ottoni studied the loneliness and social connectedness of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work highlighted the importance of home and neighbourhood places for well-being. She also critically reflected on the novel use of photovoice, administered virtually via zoom, to capture depth and nuances of peoples' lived experiences.
• Dr. Gómez López examines various interactions between Campesinos and the páramo land looking into historical and contemporary struggles in the Sumapaz region. He highlights the vital role of Campesino initiatives in promoting sustainable agricultural and conservation practices, seeking to mitigate the impacts of extractivism and climate change.

Doctor of Philosophy (Kinesiology)

• Dr. Waldhauser examined the transition from military to civilian life, and the role of physical activity in supporting veterans' health and well-being after release from service. These studies contribute to a greater understanding of factors related to adjustment after transition and have the potential to inform future programming for veterans.
• Dr. Missen examined how the brain integrates sensory information to control balance. He identified properties of a mechanism that aligns the body with gravity and demonstrated that the brain prioritizes velocity information in the sensory integration process. This research will help improve methods to identify and rehabilitate balance deficits.

Doctor of Philosophy (Language and Literacy Education)

• Dr. Shank Lauwo examined possibilities for centring multilingualism, antiracism, and equity in teacher education. Findings highlight opportunities to leverage multimedia storytelling, identity and autobiography towards antiracism and linguistic pluralism. This research advances efforts to disrupt systemic racial and linguistic injustice in schools.

Doctor of Philosophy (Law)

• Dr. Hassan investigated the challenges Muslim women face in the sexual assault trial process in Canada. She found that the prevalence of gendered stereotypes intersecting with the racialization of the Muslim identity in Canada, limits Muslim women's ability to access justice through the criminal courts.
• Dr. Esposito studied how the concept of democracy is used in peacebuilding discourse, focusing on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and its support for Sierra Leone. She demonstrated the importance of critically analyzing organizational democracy discourse to move towards a quality, human-rights and empowerment-based practice of democratization.
• Dr. Tooze examined how the European Union regulates the risk involved in the process where banks transform loans into securities. By breaking the process down into eight stages, she applied a uniquely in-depth assessment of regulation, revealing significant gaps that need attention to prevent future financial crises.
• Dr. Onifade developed novel knowledge on hybrid regulation, which involves governments, businesses, communities and individuals interacting to design and implement regulation. This pioneering contribution would help researchers, policymakers, and communities rethink how regulation could be more effective and inclusive of diverse people.

Doctor of Philosophy (Library, Archival and Information Studies)

• Dr. Zhang developed machine learning systems that enhanced the understanding of semantic meanings in language, capturing the nuances of human reactions, communications, and intentions beyond words. He proposed novel language representation learning methods that utilize pragmatic signals to more effectively learn human language, leveraging vast amounts of social media data.

Doctor of Philosophy (Linguistics)

• Dr. Navarro investigated countability and the scope properties of argumental bare nouns (BNs) in Kaingang, a Jê language spoken in southeastern and southern Brazil by the Kaingang people. His unified analysis of countability and scope in Kaingang contributed to the understanding of these phenomena across languages, as well to the documentation of under-represented languages.
• What does it mean to be a group? In her research, Dr. Underhill analyzed the meaning of groups and non-groups in Ktunaxa, an indigenous language of British Columbia, Montana, and Idaho. She found that the language provides a unique window into the ways grammar can indicate number, in particular why a language might limit certain kinds of plural for

Doctor of Philosophy (Materials Engineering)

• Dr. Imani investigated the behavior of WE43 magnesium alloy in simulated body conditions to predict its longevity as a dissolvable medical implant. His research revealed the critical role of glucose and albumin in corrosion and stress cracking, highlighting the need for additional protection in various body conditions, and enhancing the safety and effectiveness of Mg implants.
• Dr. Wang has developed an economical and efficient fabrication technology for producing high-crystal-quality, high-tensile-strained germanium thin films. This is crucial for investigating Ge's potential in light emission applications, particularly for Ge lasers used in on-chip optical interconnects.
• Dr. Zhu investigated the fabrication, characterization and modeling of porous Ge (PGe). Dr. Zhu’s work achieved PGe in both n- and p-type Ge-on-Si by bipolar electrochemical etching method, studied the impact of threading dislocations, and first demonstrated uniaxial optical anisotropic property in PGe, enabling its applications in optoelectronics.
• Dr. Zang’s research advanced the understanding of aluminum alloys in the automotive industry, focusing on their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining structural integrity. His research provided key insights into how material evolves during manufacturing, from origin to product, and its effect on final performance.

Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)

• Dr. Trainor's research lies in the intersection of analysis, discrete mathematics, and geometry. She studies discrete analogues of classical continuous problems, and focuses on a recent, effective method in these fields known as the polynomial method. Her dissertation applies and advances this method to new problems and in new settings.
• Dr. Kong studied pattern formation phenomena of several reaction-diffusion systems involving advection arising from biology, ecology and finance. These theoretical analyses assist us in understanding the effects of biased movement on structures and qualitative properties of localized patterns.
• Dr. Pelz has explored the emergence of spatio-temporal patterns arising when nonlinear processes are restricted to spatially segregated compartments coupled through a diffusion field. For such models, relevant to cell signalling, I have investigated pattern forming properties and how time-varying signals undergo synchronization due to non-local coupling.
• Dr. Li studied the geometry-preserving property of random mappings and introduced a novel algorithm for signal recovery from generative models. His research contributes to the understanding of random mappings and their applications in fields such as signal processing and machine learning.
• Dr. Gong looked at how fluid environments affect the dynamics of swimming microorganisms with different shapes. He developed analytical models using low Reynolds number hydrodynamics to study viscotaxis, and propulsions in complex fluids. His work offers insights into microrobotics for biomedical uses and the design of advanced microrheometers.
• Dr. Yip's research in mathematics focused on arithmetic combinatorics. He has investigated how to understand the interaction between different arithmetic operations over integers and finite fields using various tools. The results might find applications in various areas of mathematics, such as analytic number theory, extremal combinatorics, and finite geometry.
• Dr. Chernobai studed global existence of local energy solutions for Navier-Stokes equations, which describe a motion of incompressible fluid, and constructed solutions for the new class of initial data. She also researched the regularity of solutions to elliptic equations with critical drift, and proved the existence, uniqueness and higher regularity of such solutions.

Doctor of Philosophy (Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology)

• Dr. Kasana studied how many test takers or research participants are needed to use a novel graphical analysis of tests, scales, and questionnaire data that uses nonparametric regression. She provided a comprehensive overview of the statistical methods and recommendations on model selection for practitioners interested in using this method.

Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering)

• Dr. Ferraresso examined how blood clots contract to close wounds, crucial for managing severe bleeding in surgeries and trauma. Through his research, he developed novel computational models and experimental platforms to predict wound closure required to minimize bleeding. This paves the way for novel treatments to improve patient outcomes.
• Dr. Fazlali's research in material deformation behavior sheds light on adiabatic shear banding and predicts temperature and force during machining of high-performance metals. His work has practical implications for aerospace, biomedical, and automotive industries, improving machining productivity and the part's quality.
• Dr. Antarvedi Goda developed a framework to understand fracture of soft materials. Understanding its failure mechanisms, we can design tougher materials that are resistant to tear and cuts.
• Keeping balance is challenging for older adults and those with brain injuries. However, the neural mechanisms behind such deficits remain unclear. Dr. Qiao improved balance tests by upgrading a balance robot to enable side-to-side motions and cerebellar activity measurements. These advancements could enhance balance assessments and rehabilitations.
• Dr. Gardner-Frolick studied how to tailor air quality methods to environmental justice analysis and applied the knowledge to understand the inequitable impacts of air pollution in Canada. Her findings aid in identifying effective and efficient means of increasing environmental equity.
• Dr. Shariatzadeh developed a wearable device equipped with sensor fusion technology to capture complex muscle activity dynamics and measure fatigue during dynamic exercises. His research establishes a muscle activity monitoring and fatigue prediction method, contributing significantly to sports science, rehabilitative medicine, and ergonomics.

Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Genetics)

• Dr. Life studied mouse dementia and mouse autism. In looking across the lifespan, he obtained functional insights into a gene that shapes our behaviour and personality both early and late in life. His work establishes two strains of mice that are facilitating the development of new therapies for dementia.
• Dr. Wainstein demonstrated how understanding lived experiences of adolescents with genetic conditions is crucial to offer genetic counselling services tailored to their needs. These adolescents experience ableism. Interventions that tackle genetic literacy and improved interactions among adolescents with and without genetic conditions could mitigate this.
• Dr. Oppedisano used the awesome power of yeast genetics to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving the function of an attractive anti-cancer target called MUS81. His research led to the discovery of compounds that effectively and specifically target MUS81.

Doctor of Philosophy (Microbiology and Immunology)

• Dr. Pepin’s research explored a group of gut bacteria vanishing in industrialized human societies. She uncovered why these bacteria are lost during malabsorption and highlighted their role in promoting gut health, offering insights for new microbiota-based therapies.
• Dr. Beskrovnaya investigated the cell envelope transformations occurring across the sporulation cycle in the bacterium Acetonema longum. Her study provides the first characterization of the molecular mechanisms involved in endospore formation in Gram-negative species, contributing insight into the evolutionary timeline of bacteria.
• Dr. Metcalfe-Roach identified a connection between specific dietary patterns and the onset of Parkinson's disease, and showed that this connection may be partially due to the influence of diet on bacterial populations present in the intestinal tract. This work may lead to new interventions to reduce the burden of Parkinson's disease pre- and post-diagnosis.

Doctor of Philosophy (Mining Engineering)

• Dr. Alizadeh studied the role of physicochemical properties of polymers in solid-liquid separation. He showed that polymers with flexible chains will produce stronger aggregates with improved settling rates. His research highlighted the influence of polymer chain flexibility in behavior of mineral slurries during dewatering process.
• Dr. Caliskan developed a comprehensive numerical model to simulate dense,slurry flows, with a specific focus on gravity separation processes in mineral processing. This model is suitable for large-scale industrial settings, common in mineral processing plants, and aims to enhance understanding of slurry flow dynamics, ultimately improving the efficiency of the relevant units.
• Dr. Xu's research pioneers sensor-based ore sorting using machine learning. Dr. Xu's expertise results in valuable improvements to sorting models.
• Dr. Plavsic developed a virtual reality-based digital twin platform for facilitating remote mining operations. She applied her method to real-time monitoring and maintenance of mining equipment. She also studied the impact of optimization techniques on application performance to ensure its scalability and usability.
• Dr. Shadi focused on developing a novel method to measure and simulate the use of microwaves to weaken rocks. His research demonstrated that the energy effectiveness of this process could be increased up to 10 times. This approach has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption, contributing to both environmental and economic benefits.

Doctor of Philosophy (Neuroscience)

• Dr. Lindsay investigated how signals related to behaviour, emotional state, and context are represented in the anterior cingulate cortex. This work sheds light on the network function of this brain area, and its role in regulating the influence of emotion in motivated decision making.
• Dr. Doelman developed and tested novel pressure sensors for the wireless assessment of bladder dysfunction in patients following traumatic spinal cord injury. He successfully validated two distinct pressure sensors, one of which is now being utilized in clinical trials at the Cleveland Clinic.
• Dr. Denyer investigated how the brain controls complex bimanual movements using transcranial magnetic stimulation. He discovered that bimanual movements do not rely on activity within a single brain region. Instead, they are likely underpinned by activity within a distributed network of brain regions.

Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing)

• This research project created a computer model of localised wound infection based on nursing knowledge. The resulting model was able to show that identification of wound infection is a complex process, and that complex nursing knowledge can be captured in computerised models.
• Dr. Besworth conducted a mixed methods study evaluating nurse practitioners' perceptions of the quality of virtual care. Contributions included development of a novel instrument measuring quality of virtual care, and key findings that characterized virtual care as being of high quality and supporting a tailored approach to patient care.
• Dr. Goodyear studied transitions in substance use and homelessness among LGBT youth. His research detailed the complex role of drugs in the lives of LGBT youth experiencing homelessness. This work increases awareness of the relationship between substance use and homelessness for LGBT youth and identifies prevention and intervention strategies.
• Dr. Jiao’s research examines factors that influence the provision of harm reduction services in the emergency room. Her work highlights systemic tensions and demonstrates that staff’s efforts are impacted by inconsistent education and unsupportive policies. These findings can inform harm reduction implementation in emergency rooms across Canada.
• Dr. Okoye examined the structural drivers of HIV risk behaviour among young people in Sub-Saharan Africa considering other social factors and HIV-related knowledge. She found that several contextual factors had additional links with young people’s HIV risk behaviour. Her findings will guide structural interventions for HIV risk reduction.
• Dr.Yacoubian studied the history of humanitarianism at the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on the Armenian Genocide. He explored the intersections between humanitarianism, humanitarian relief work, genocide, nursing, and healthcare delivery. His research highlights the socio-political roles of nurses and relief workers, revealing the modern aspects of humanitarianism during this period.
• Dr. Alharbi conducted a two-phased study to adapt the revised version of the U.S. Hospital Survey on patient safety culture for use by registeried nurses working in Saudi hospital settings, following well-established guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and validation of an instrument. Her findings yielded promising evidence of the instrument's validity in the Saudi context

Doctor of Philosophy (Oceans & Fisheries)

• Dr. Sora modeled the Canadian Arctic under environmental changes. She found that key species and habitats are particularly vulnerable. Her findings revealed valuable insights for the integration of climate change considerations into marine spatial planning, the conservation objectives of protected areas, and the interests of Indigenous communities.
• Dr. Efford developed a novel approach to transdisciplinary ecosystem modelling using archaeological data, Indigenous Science, history, and ecology. This research, under the leadership of and in service to Tsleil-Waututh Nation, offers a new way to reconstruct past ecosystem baselines and understand environmental change over time.

Doctor of Philosophy (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

• Dr. Islamzada studied Red Blood Cell deformability as a potential biomarker for longevity of blood transfusions, and showed how cell deformability is critical for allowing red blood cells to remain in circulation. Her findings may help identify donors who can provide long lasting red blood cells that could be beneficial to chronic transfusion recipients.
• Dr. Li and collaborators analyzed the DNA mutational patterns in two types of B cell lymphomas and found mutations that alter distinct biological signaling pathways. His findings may help guide future treatment strategies to improve lymphoma patient care.
• Dr. Lauener optimally expanded and comprehensively characterized a rare cellular population of human regulatory natural killer cells. She deciphered multiple methods to obtain clinically relevant numbers, while harnessing their immunosuppressive properties as a novel therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease, and other autoimmune conditions.
• Dr. Tegegn's research explores, at a molecular level, how the dengue virus, one of the world’s most prevalent pathogens, causes life-threatening bleeding. During infection, dengue hijacks platelets and their parent cells, marking them with signals that lead to depletion. Her findings offer a novel treatment target for dengue hemorrhagic fever.
• Dr. Bahreyni investigated the use of microRNA-modified Coxsackievirus B3 (miR-CVB3) in breast cancer treatment. His research explored how combining miR-CVB3 with immune-enhancers and advanced delivery methods might offer improvements in therapy. Dr. Bahreyni's work provides useful insights into potential strategies for enhancing cancer treatment.

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

• Dr. Soukhtehzari studied glycobiology of breast cancer and identified two novel polysialylated proteins that contributed in breast cancer progression and studied their function and roles in metastasis and breast cancer patients prognosis.
• Dr. Rebić used nationally representative data to generate policy-relevant information on the Canadian burden of medication non-adherence, individual and healthcare system factors increasing the risk for ineffective care, and the impact of sex and gender-related inequities. Her thesis provides real-world evidence for universal Pharmacare in Canada.
• Dr. Rowley studied protein arginine N-methyltransferase 2 (PRMT2), an enzyme found to be dysregulated in disease. He developed new techniques to study PRMT2 and how it interacts with other proteins. Findings from his research suggest that PRMT2 orchestrates the activities of other methyltransferases.
• Dr. Lee developed a decision-analytic model for evaluating long-term benefits of early interventions for asthma at the population level. He generated key evidence on the disease course of asthma and demonstrated the utility of this model by showing far-reaching benefits of reducing unnecessary infant antibiotic exposure on the burden of asthma.
• Dr. Tafech's research focused on advancing gene therapies for cystic fibrosis, the most common fatal genetic disorder affecting Canadian children and young adults. His work identified nano-based strategies that significantly enhanced CRISPR-mRNA delivery and gene editing in CF, driving promising progress in this disease and other genetic disorders.
• Dr. Iliev's work focused on the development of new cancer therapies. It included the design, synthesis and testing of experimental inhibitors, pushing the boundaries of traditional medicinal chemistry approaches. His top bioactive compounds will proceed to more advanced testing towards becoming next-generation cancer therapeutics.
• Dr. Chao developed immune-boosting lipid nanoparticles to enhance therapy for peritoneal metastasis. His formulations demonstrated improved immune activation, tumor eradication, and long-term anti-tumor immunity. This research offers significant potential for advancing cancer immunotherapy through nanomedicine.
• Dr. Tan developed a 3D human-based lympho-reticular model and a multi-organ-on-a-chip platform to simulate atopic diseases. She further investigated the therapeutic effects of a novel small molecule drug for treating atopic conditions on this platform.
• Dr. Moein's work imparts a better understanding of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway response by developing mechanistic models to integrate dynamic relationship between exposure of targeted drugs, modulation of biomarkers triggered by inhibition of pathway, and the estimation of longitudinal response including emergence of tumor resistance.
• Dr. Lee explored heparanase’s role in providing heart energy and its changes in diabetes. He also found that heparanase overexpression led to development of physiological cardiac hypertrophy, however, its actions are negated during diabetes, resulting in heart failure. Further investigation may enhance the management of diabetic heart disease.
• Dr. Vo examined racial disparity in health outcomes and healthcare participation. He found that racialized individuals experience inadequate pain management, and are less likely to participate in health research due to distrust. These findings highlight the impact of structural racism on healthcare access and stress the urgent need for systemic changes to achieve health equity.

Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacology)

• Dr. Usman studied how the lungs repair after injury, both in healthy people and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She found that the inflammatory mediator, interleukin-1 alpha is vital in preventing scaring, and that targeting specific master regulators of this mediator could lead to new treatments for COPD.
• Dr. Sauge investigated how the byproduct of losartan, EXP3179, specifically improves blood vessel function by raising nitric oxide levels, regardless of its effects on blood pressure. Her research offers new insights into the protective roles of losartan in chronic lung diseases and paves the way for novel therapies beyond hypertension management.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, aka COPD, is the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide. Dr. Nwozor studied the interplay between ageing and cigarette smoke in the development and progression of COPD, showed that epithelial barrier function and lung fibroblast repair decrease with age and identified potential therapeutic interventions for COPD.

Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy)

• Dr. Neels examined the relation between full and partial belief. He concluded that what we rationally believe depends on which questions we are asking. This research aids in understanding how statistical evidence should be used in legal contexts and how we evaluate belief in conspiracy theories.
• Dr. Pearson studied epistemic agency - the agency we have over what we believe. She proposed an alternative to the dominant control-based accounts of this concept, arguing instead that epistemic agency centrally involves the ability to set one’s epistemic contexts by determining which possibilities to take seriously.

Doctor of Philosophy (Physics)

• Dr. Zurel invented new hidden variable models and classical simulation algorithms for quantum computation to investigate the link between quantum computational advantage and physical notions of nonclassical physics such as quantum contextuality and negative quasiprobabilities.
• Dr. Yang investigated a series of emergent phenomena in atomically thin quantum materials with rhombohedral stacking. Dr. Yang's research offers new insights into the intertwined relationship between excitons, two-dimensional ferroelectricity and correlated physics.
• Dr. Belley developed first-principles quantum many-body methods to further our theoretical understanding of neutrinoless double beta decay: a hypothetical process that sheds light on many properties of the neutrino. He also developed machine learning algorithms to greatly accelerate calculations for its first reliable uncertainty quantification.
• Nearly 85% of the universe's matter is dark matter of unknown composition. Dr. Pradeep led the characterization of ultra-sensitive dark matter detectors and developed tools based on machine learning to enhance their resolution. Her work will empower the search for a rare phenomenon - the scattering of dark matter particles from atomic targets.
• Dr. Simidzija developed and investigated a theoretical model of the Universe that is based on a theory of quantum gravity. It is hoped that one day such a model will be able to explain the origin of the Universe itself.
• Dr. Kraft studied how students experienced a lab in the first-year physics lab sequence. He found that students struggled to correctly interpret statistics and implemented an intervention to address this. These results, along with his other investigations in this lab, provide valuable feedback for designing open-ended physics labs.
• Dr. Shaheen studied how the twisting of DNA can cause local changes in its structure and developed methods to assist in these studies. Such studies can help us fully understand how our genes are regulated, and may have implications in treating diseases such as cancer.
• Dr. Korchinski developed theories explaining the statistical properties of the cascading rearrangements observed in disordered solids and crumpled sheets.
• Dr. Yates studied the structure of several nuclei following radioactive decay and nuclear reactions. His new measurements provide further insight into the evolution of the structure and dynamics of nuclei and the underlying forces. His research also helps to benchmark new methods for studying the synthesis of elements in the Universe.
• Dr. MacPhail-Bartley used laser fields to control the speed and direction of molecular rotation of molecules embedded in superfluid helium. By controlling this rotational energy, we are able to investigate how this energy is dissipated by the liquid helium. This moves us forward towards developing a microscopic understanding of the nature of superfluidity.
• Dr. Miller investigated dual-isotope applications for radiopharmaceutical therapies that treat various types of cancer. Her research demonstrated that dual-isotope SPECT imaging can improve the calculation of radiation doses during therapy which can enable personalized treatment and hopefully improve patient outcomes.

Doctor of Philosophy (Population and Public Health)

• Dr. Dau studied the impact of cervical cancer treatment on Ugandan women and their children. She found that a cervical cancer diagnosis leads to financial insecurity and challenges meeting caregiving and household responsibilities. This research provides evidence to expand cervical cancer screening and treatment programs in Uganda and globally.
• Dr. Biln examined the effectiveness of a patient-completed questionnaire to help direct and prioritize arthritis patient referrals. Based on the questionnaire's performance, and patient and rheumatologist feedback, its integration into the healthcare system may shorten patient time to treatment, improve their quality of life, and reduce disability.
• Dr. Gemmell studied how urban environments impact children’s health and human rights, including the right to play. She developed and mapped a playability index across Canadian cities, identifying disparities in neighbourhood quality for children’s outdoor play. Her research advances assessment of urban environments for child health and well-being.
• Dr. Iyamu explored design and implementation factors influencing access to GetCheckedonline, BC's online service for STI testing. He found these services may not always increase testing access for historically marginalized populations if their design and implementation do not reduce the effort needed for testing and argued for empowering them to make informed testing choices through personalized education.
• Dr. Okpani studied the impact of community and workplace factors, and mitigation strategies on the risk of COVID-19 infection among Canadian healthcare workers. This research enhances understanding of how protective measures in public health emergencies can promote workers wellbeing, reduce inequity, and support long-term health system resilience.

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

• Dr. Shahnaz employed an ecological momentary assessment methodology to explore the short-term temporal associations and contexts of Eating disorders (ED) behaviours and suicidal thoughts.
• Dr. Gooderham examined whether physical activity, diet, and sleep habits were associated with intraindividual cognitive variability, subjective cognitive function, and metacognition. He found that young adults with healthier lifestyles report enhanced cognitive functioning, which may be leveraged to support cognitive functioning in this population.
• Dr. Morrison studied the relationship between how complexly a political leader thinks and their use of violence in international crises and confrontations. He found that lower complexity of thinking is associated with greater use of violence and with suffering a greater number of fatalities.
• Dr. Jaswal's research explores misokinesia, the discomfort caused by others' repetitive movements. Her findings reveal that misokinesia affects a significant portion of the general population, not just clinical cases. By shedding light on its social impact, her work paves the way for better understanding and support for those affected.
• Dr. Russell conducted translational research to examine individual susceptibility to the risk-promoting effect of cues on decision making among those in the community with and without problematic gambling involvement. By using an animal model of decision making, she investigated the underlying neurobiological processes these cues may use to potentiate decisional risk.
• Dr. Kysow conducted the first systematic research on hoarding clean-outs. She examined the factors precipitating these interventions, the range of client-centered practices used, and their outcomes. She followed a public scholarship approach which resulted in the formation of a best practice toolkit for dissemination among community providers.
• Dr. Stewart’s research found that being likeable during initial impressions is a stable trait that directly predicts educational attainment and social class, and indirectly predicts cardiometabolic risk. Her research increases our understanding of the importance of initial interactions during childhood.
• Although nightly sleep and daily stress are closely linked, however, the pathways remain unclear. Dr. Wen's work explored how sleep relates to stressful experiences on a daily basis and how stressful experiences, in turn, affect sleep.The findings underscore sleep’s importance to daily well-being and can inform current sleep interventions.
• Dr. Smit’s work emphasized the importance of considering the mental health of parents in parenting interventions for children with ADHD. Findings suggested that parent mental health is associated with parenting behaviours. Her work further highlighted the importance of tailoring parenting interventions to enhance parent engagement.
• Dr. Ferrari studied how habits develop as people gamble on slot machines, which are a high-risk form of gambling. He developed a laboratory simulation to detect behavioural signs of slot machine habits, and studied how gamblers interact with this game. His findings help us understand how gambling problems develop on modern gambling products.
• Dr. Luu looked at social motivations for excessive acquisition. She found that people who acquire excessively are more materialistic and experience more severe depression than people who acquire in a healthy way, but these factors did not distinguish compulsive buying and hoarding symptoms. This work suggests new avenues for treating excessive acquisition.
• Dr. Tomm studied the psychological consequences of poverty. He found financial scarcity affects attention and impairs financial decision making. He also found that perceived scarcity, objective scarcity, and scarcity relative to others can affect numerical perception in different ways. His work marks a new awareness of the experience of poverty.
• Dr. Jopling documented the ways in which social-contextual factors impact the biological embedding of stress to influence wellbeing in adolescent youth.

Doctor of Philosophy (Rehabilitation Sciences)

• Dr. Merry studied how and why exercise therapies are used to manage chronic Achilles tendon injuries. He applied this knowledge to develop a new tele-rehabilitation system to improve treatment, which is now in pilot testing with patients.
• Dr. Petry Moecke's work advanced telehealth physiotherapy for Indigenous people, emphasizing the need to establish trusting therapeutic relationships. She developed best practice recommendations to help physiotherapists deliver culturally safe care to Indigenous people, enhancing healthcare access, experiences, and outcomes through telehealth.
• Dr. Rapos used neuroimaging and kinematic analyses to examine collision avoidance strategies in children with and without developmental coordination disorder. Her findings suggest children with DCD have difficulties in perception-action coupling, as evidenced by a reliance on visual information and a conservative approach to collision avoidance.
• Dr. Rubino investigated human behaviour and brain function in the acquisition and performance of skilled actions using eye-tracking, interactive robotics and brain imaging. Her work reveals that the oculomotor system plays a role in both developing motor skills and performing motor tasks after stroke. Her work offers a new avenue into discovery for stroke neurorehabilitation.
• Dr. Ogura explored the meaning of an ancestral farming practice in Japan: small grains cultivation. She found this neglected practice supports the emotional and physical well-being of the cultivators, nurtures people's relationships with nature, and improves food security. Through documentary filmmaking, this research supports the resurgence of ancestral knowledge and practice into the future.

Doctor of Philosophy (Reproductive and Developmental Sciences)

• Dr. Campbell explored the impact of prenatal antidepressants on the developing brain. Her research uncovered new insight into how fetal drug exposure and early brain connectivity may underlie social-emotional behaviours in children of depressed mothers. This work may help guide clinical care on optimizing perinatal mental health and child development.
• Dr. Scherbinsky determined methionine requirements during healthy human pregnancies and showed that sulfur amino acid requirements increase throughout healthy gestation. These novel findings highlight the need for updated nutrition recommendations in a pregnant population.

Doctor of Philosophy (Resources, Environment and Sustainability)

• Dr. Bajaj assessed the climate risks embedded in domestic supply and international imports of food, both globally and with a focus on Canada. He developed novel datasets and innovative analyses that demonstrate the importance of taking a systemic approach to building food system resilience to climate change.

Doctor of Philosophy (School and Applied Child Psychology)

• Dr. Saqui developed and evaluated a classroom-based anxiety intervention for children with intellectual and developmental disorders in inclusive settings. The findings support teaching specific coping skills, guide future interventions, and enhance knowledge of accessible and inclusive mental health interventions for children.
• Dr. Rahimi used discursive methodologies to study prevalent ideologies and emotion talk in psychologists' and immigrant parents' discussions of their experiences. The results of the study contribute to our understanding of the impact of ideologies on the psychological construction of emotion talk of psychologists and immigrant parents in feedback sessions.
• Dr. Cheng provided convincing evidence that factors such as interest and difficulty impact an individual's reading experience and persistence. Her research paves the way for new ways to build healthy reading habits for children.
• Dr. Sagar studied intergenerational bipolar disorder. She heard stories of how having the same diagnosis as a parent shapes one's own experiences. This research helps inform meaningful, mindful, and empathic practices to support families as they navigate their journeys with intergenerational BD.

Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work)

• Dr. Watermeyer studied Tibetan organizations in Canada to explore how diasporic identity shapes social helping notions, activities and structures. Her research argues the need to expand dominant understandings of social help beyond its state-centered, utilitarian emphasis to include alternative modes of culture-based kinship practices.

Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology)

• Dr. Stillwagon analyzed restricted-use government data and 50+ interviews to explore predictors of queer food insecurity among Two-Spirit, trans, and queer people in Canada. They found trans and queer identities predict food insecurity, worsened by trauma but mitigated by community. Their research highlights systemic policy failures through lived experiences."

Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science)

• Dr. Pow studied the carbon, water, and net greenhouse gas balances of an intensively managed forage field using micrometeorological methods. This research improves our understanding of the effects of field management on crop production and nitrogen fertilization efficiency while minimizing net greenhouse gas emissions.

Doctor of Philosophy (Special Education)

• Dr. Chan is dedicated to helping improve mental health and quality of life in children with developmental disabilities and their families by investigating the effectiveness and feasibility of mindfulness and self-compassion programs for children of Autism and their parents. Her study found promising results of such an intervention.

Doctor of Philosophy (Statistics)

• Dr.Fan developed advanced methods for high-dimensional dependence modeling using latent variables and copulas. Dr. Fan's research offers efficient and flexible tools for modeling and understanding multivariate dependencies in high-dimensional datasets.
• Dr. Biron-Lattes developed theory and algorithms that enable the principled estimation of complex Bayesian statistical models by leveraging inexpensive computational resources offered by cloud computing platforms.
• Dr. Zhou's research delves into extreme value modelling with application to reverse stress testing, identifying scenarios of risk factor changes that lead to a specified adverse portfolio outcome. She developed multiple statistical methodologies to overcome the challenges due to limited historical data records of risk factors and associated portfolio losses.

Doctor of Philosophy (Teaching English as a Second Language)

• Dr. Jee's research examined secondary school teachers' beliefs and practices regarding English as an International Language (EIL), highlighting factors that influence EIL application in Korean education. Her findings offer valuable insights for developing teacher education programs that incorporate EIL in non-English-speaking countries.

Doctor of Philosophy (Women+ and Children's Health Sciences)

• Dr. Kinshella studied whether the food women eat during pregnancy could help prevent pregnancy hypertension, a leading cause of maternal death. Her research in Kenya, Mozambique and The Gambia found a protective effect of dietary diversity alongside lower intake of unhealthy food groups. These findings support improving maternal health in Africa.

Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)

• Dr. Couture examined how prey resource, climate variability, and competition between marine mammals could affect the southern resident killer whale population. She used ecosystem modelling to assist in understanding the main ecological drivers limiting this endangered population along the northeast Pacific coast.
• Dr. Blair's cross-disciplinary research developed novel methods to integrate ecological data with computer vision classification algorithms. At a time where the world's need for biodiversity data has never been higher, his work will enhance ecological and conservation research by improving specimen processing efficiency.
• Dr. Salehzadeh studied how early-life sickness impacts stress hormone regulation. She found that bacterial exposure in early life alters hormone regulation in the brain and immune organs, which may increase susceptibility to neuropsychiatric and immune disorders. These findings provide insight into how childhood illness impacts development.
• Dr. Rogy studied how the nutrient content of organisms could explain the flow of energy through food in ecosystems. Results showed that although nutrients play an important role, they are one of several factors driving energy flow. This study furthers our understanding of ecosystem dynamics to better care for our environment.
• Images move across the retina and through different regions of the visual field as we move through the world. Dr. Thériault discovered substantial differences in how motion in the frontal and lateral visual fields are used by hummingbirds to control hovering, advancing understanding of the transformation of sensory input to motor output.
• Dr. Armstrong critiques scientific practice with humanities and arts frameworks to develop methodologies that refuse the exclusion and extraction of the neoliberal academy. Anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, and anti-racist science makes space for the participation of more and different practitioners, who are then able to create new forms of knowledge.
• Dr. Billy investigated the genetic diversity of intestinal eukaryotes and their interactions with the mammalian host and the microbiome. He showed that the eukaryote Blastocystis alters the intestinal microbiome and could be beneficial for their host. His results encourage investigating further the protective effect of intestinal eukaryotes as treatment against intestinal disorders.

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Accounting)

• Dr. Li examined the impact of climate-linked pay on firms' supply chain management. She found that firms with climate-related metrics in executive compensation outsource carbon emissions to their supply chain by initiating fewer and terminating more contracts with the "hard-to-shift-emissions" suppliers.

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Finance)

• Dr. Li studies financial intermediation within private equity markets. His research covers topics including funding shocks, illiquidity, and the role of financial regulation in incentive alignment. These studies provide valuable insights into pressing economic and regulatory issues in private equity markets, including liquidity concerns, systemic risk, and fund structures.
• Dr. Rutigliano showed that childbirth has a large negative effect on women-founded start-ups. This effect is partly driven by traditional gender norms and partly by lack of childcare. These results can inform the design of policies in support of women entrepreneurs.

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Management Science)

• Dr. Yiwen Jin studies healthcare delivery processes. He utilizes data-driven methods to facilitate innovative solutions in emergency departments and operating rooms. Collaborating with healthcare practitioners, his research generates insights for better decision-making. He also studies supply chain management of companies using empirical methods.

Doctor of Philosophy in Music (Emphasis Theory)

• Is a baseline expectation for "regularity" essential to one’s aesthetic experience of musical phrases? Dr. Sawatzky argues that it isn't, and describes musical phrase structure as emergent from the interaction of multiple different ways of hearing how notes and events become grouped, independently of clock-time and supposedly regulative prototypes.
• Dr. Negri focused on nineteenth-century European art music and how keys relate to one another within and across a "tonal superstructure”—a construct that arranges and ranks the keys of a piece hierarchically and groups key successions in ways that may support interpretations regarding musical continuity, process, goal orientation, and closure.