A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Dr. Hu tested and validated a model describing how nitrogen movement in plants influences nitrogen isotope composition. He applied it to identify genetic variation in nitrogen use in poplar and willow. This research provides a new way to measure plant nitrogen-use traits, which are often technically challenging to measure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Urbanetto Peres investigated the role of adhesion molecules and oxidative stress markers in sleep apnea patients. These long-term follow-up studies help us understand how can we better identify which patients are at increased risk of serious adverse consequences of obstructive sleep apnea. | Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Science (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Scheu studied how proteins, namely ETS family transcription factors, bind their DNA targets within our cells and thereby turn genes on or off. He identified a molecular mechanism by which some family members regulate a common set of genes. He also showed how the motions of these ETS factors influence their DNA-binding specificity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Sandhra studied museums as spaces of belonging through the experience of three Asian Canadian migrant communities in BC - Sikhs, Chinese and Japanese. Her research and findings centred racialized voices only as a means to demonstrate the power of margins as the site of solidarity and belonging in public history discourse. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Yu investigated the mechanism of hydrothermal pretreatment. She subsequently applied her methods to treat different agricultural residues to produce durable pellets. These practical studies potentially help industries to curtail the dependence on fossil fuels. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Nie developed an efficient direct voxel tracing method which computes the workpiece geometry and cutter-workpiece engagement in multi-axis machining simulation. This method achieves high efficiency in calculating geometric information while being accurate and robust enough for physical modeling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Doering discovered a new pathway by which cells can respond to and survive low oxygen stress using the model organism C. elegans. This work will be important for future development of drugs and therapies in diseases where cells are frequently exposed to low oxygen, such as cancer and diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Zeitouny assessed key dimensions in access to medicines in Canada and globally. Her research examined primary non-adherence in primary care. It uncovered changes in drug use and costs in British Columbia and investigated global vaccine availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her findings contributed to constructive health systems research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Wang developed a series of methods and frameworks for addressing possible problems in clinical diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer so that artificial intelligence can be better applied. The proposed methods will potentially save lives that suffer from skin diseases and reduce healthcare costs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Ferris examined patterns of brain damage in aging and after stroke using a magnetic resonance imaging technique called diffusion tensor imaging. Her work advances the development of novel MRI-based tools to measure brain damage and predict behavioural impairments after brain injury. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Huang studied how the transition from traditional chemistry to green chemistry can be accomplished through an in-situ hydrogen supply reactor. She engineered catalysts with finely-tuned structures for hydrogenation reactions. These reactions can be used in crucial industries such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, disinfection, and fuels. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Simpson investigated the epidemiology, measurement, and recovery of arm and hand use following a stroke. This research increases our knowledge of this unique aspect of stroke recovery and will inform future stroke rehabilitation treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Rahman developed computational frameworks to simulate the operation of thermionic energy converters.This research enables a realistic understanding of thermionic converters' operation and helps design the practical converters. His research would advance the development of portable electricity generator for off grid areas and space application. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Arshad quantified the effect of user mobility on the data rate in a variety of future wireless networks. He proposed several mobility management algorithms to manage user mobility and enable the provisioning of a seamless and high data rate connectivity to the mobile users. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Pietromonaco studied curve-counting in certain geometries with singular points. His new results lead to some beautiful formulas, and reveal some new structure in the enumerative geometry of these singular spaces. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Wong examined mechanisms that underlie cell fate determination during normal T-cell development. She identified an epigenetic factor critical for maintaining appropriate lineage development. Her research furthers our understanding of normal T-cell differentiation and how aberrations throughout development can result in leukemia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2022 | A CO2 electrolyzer uses carbon dioxide, water, and electricity to produce carbon-neutral chemicals and fuels. Dr. Wheeler developed an adaptable tool to measure and model the reaction conditions within these electrochemical cells. This work will help empower the more thoughtful design of CO2 electrolyzer cells moving forward. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Wharton studied metal-based radioactive drugs for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer. His work led to the development of several radiopharmaceuticals which achieved effective imaging of tumours. His research deepens our understanding of viable approaches to drug design and has implications for the further advancement of cancer treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Cristiani studied the movement of marine invertebrates among different areas of the British Columbia coast. His research modeled the spatial extent of animal dispersal and predicted where habitat is connected. This work is now being incorporated into planning the placement of marine protected areas to better conserve biodiversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Nanditha examined the epidemiology of aging with HIV in British Columbia. She demonstrated the disproportionate burden of chronic diseases experienced by people living with HIV and proposed reproducible methodological approaches that improve the reliability of chronic disease frequencies measured using large administrative health datasets. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Wickham investigated modifiable risk factors associated with recurrent adverse drug events, and examined how well these events are captured in health care data. These studies have implications for patient safety, and for drug safety research, as the documentation of these events is crucial in understanding and preventing their recurrence. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Baker studied metals in which electronic motion does not obey Ohm's law. He looked at metals where electrons develop preferred directions of motion because of strong interactions with the ionic lattice. He developed a theory of how this leads to new electrical and optical properties, and measured these novel effects in palladium cobalt oxide. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Magee examined the epidemiology of schizophrenia spectrum conditions and access to psychiatric services among adolescents in British Columbia. Her findings can be used to plan for adequate mental health supports for young people in BC. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Ju developed prediction methods that go beyond classical settings. Her proposals are built upon the idea of ensemble learning and use data that contain extreme or function-valued variables. The resulting algorithms provide computational tools for practitioners to deal with complex data seen in various applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Blain tested for predicted effects of competitive interactions among co-occurring fish phenotypes in post-glacial lakes. She demonstrated weak or no evidence for predictions from theory for selection and evolution in solitary stickleback populations and some evidence for habitat and trait repeatability in assemblages of sympatric salmonids. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |