A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | NID |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dr. Le Renard studied the evolution of fly-speck fungi, microfungi growing on the surfaces of plants and abundant as fossils. He analyzed the evolutionary relationships of living fungi using DNA, compared their anatomy to fossils, and described three new fossils. This comparative work sheds light on the evolution of a very diverse group of fungi. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Maharaj explored the meaning of pets for people with cancer. Inspired by her bulldog, Dally, she highlights the importance of meaning-making for the human-pet relationship. Her findings can support patients in reflecting on their experiences, as well as bring new understandings for health care providers to better address the needs of patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Furtado found that, despite its being a relatively obscure musical genre, the Brazilian tango is a body of work well worthy of further study. Through historical and musical analyses, he explores the Brazilian tango as a vehicle for pianists to develop technical and musical skills, and as an exciting option for concert programming. | Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano (DMA) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ramos Musalem studied how submarine canyons that incise the continental shelf enhance the exchange of tracers, such as nutrients and dissolved gases, between the deep ocean and the shallow shelf. Her research provided a link between biological productivity and biodiversity around the canyons and the dynamics within the canyons. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Falch developed methods to optimize the design of multidisciplinary mechatronic products, considering both qualitative and quantitative design criteria. This work will help designers to develop more accurate, reliable, esthetically appealing, and cost effective mechatronic products for use in industrial and engineering applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Bashir investigated the behavioural and neuropathological consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). She showed that CHIMERA, a rodent model of head injury, can replicate many features of human TBI. Dr. Bashir hopes that, in the future, CHIMERA can be used to validate promising drug targets to help in the treatment of TBI. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Heieis investigated how cellular metabolism allows immune cells to respond in various scenarios of disease. He found that T cells have different requirements for glucose when fighting parasites versus bacterial infections. This research will have future implications in the development of immune-based therapies for infection and autoimmunity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Leung examined candidate obesity and diabetes genes, and found that reducing the amount of one gene, called Pdk1, affects lipid metabolism and the heart. Further, this research shows that the metabolic effects of Pdk1, as well as environmental factors, are important to consider when using inhibitors of this gene as a potential therapeutic. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Bi investigated cell behavior in the regulation of periodontal disease. He found that a receptor molecule plays a central role in the regulation of periodontal inflammation and bone loss through transforming growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. This research will impact treatment methods for periodontal diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Moroz developed a method to rapidly measure the concentration of a contrast agent in the vein of a mouse tail. The measurement requires only one sample per time point, allowing for it to be acquired concurrently with an MR scan of a tumor. This provides a more accurate assessment of the tumor. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Costa studied how physical, economic, and social infrastructure in urban communities interact and affect recovery from earthquakes. Using computer models to simulate an earthquake in Vancouver, he estimates that recovery would take more than four years. These findings can inform decision-making and improve our capacity to prepare for disasters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Dorri explored methods for detecting genetic mutations with a resolution down to one cell. The accumulation of genetic mutations disrupts regular cell activity and leads to tumour development. Her findings can be applied to the study of clonal dynamics in tumours, which can potentially lead to enhanced cancer diagnosis and treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Miro explored how place helps to mitigate and reinforce socio-economic divides. He found that new patterns of urban disadvantage in the suburbs are the result of both push and pull factors, and that for a growing number of low-income newcomers, a move to the suburbs presents both challenges and opportunities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Workman used X-ray crystallography to study the structure-function relationship of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall. His structural data revealed an unexpected topology and suggested an additional function for a key membrane protein. This knowledge provides a foundation for the development of novel antibiotics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | The Arctic Ocean is tightly linked to Earth's climate and one of the least understood oceans in the world. Dr. Chanona used large datasets to produce the first pan-Arctic map of ocean mixing rates and robustly describe their patterns in space and time. Her work is critical to improving our ability to forecast and understand the future Arctic Ocean. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ren discovered a novel mechanism that increases the coding capacity of a virus through an intergenic region internal ribosome entry site (IRES). This study will further our understanding of IRES' mediated translation initiation and reading frame decoding, which will inform our ability to recognize and treat viruses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Min found that medical students' learning through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) is a complex process influenced by interactions between factors related to the student, the assessment design, and the broader environment. These findings will assist educators in optimizing the learning that takes place through OSCEs. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Coleman studied the regulation of swarming motility in the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes lung and hospital-acquired infections. Her findings show that swarming, a multicellular movement that enables pathogens to spread over surfaces, is a complex behaviour that increases antibiotic resistance and influences disease virulence. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Button investigated the role of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), particles in the blood made of fats and proteins, in protecting brain blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease. Her work shows that raising the levels of functional HDL through drugs or lifestyle changes may protect against brain blood vessel changes and prevent Alzheimer's disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Pesteie explored machine learning algorithms to improve image-guided procedures in healthcare. He devised models that can learn from partial or limited expert supervision in environments, where data annotation is costly and time consuming. His methods can provide automatic feedback for more accurate decision making in clinics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Sajadi investigated the electronic properties of 2D topological insulators (TIs), a new class of materials with distinct electronic properties, and studied the interplay of 2D TIs with another exotic phase of matter: superconductivity. This work enhances our understanding of 2D TIs, and will pave the way towards topological quantum computing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Tomkovic studied self-responsive polymers. She developed novel self-healing materials with ultra-fast, autonomous recovery of mechanical properties and strong adhesive characteristics. These complex polymeric materials possess reactive functional groups that allow control of their flow and mechanical properties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Cox studied models of the loss of information in quantum systems. He developed a way of understanding how the information stored in a quantum system can be divided into its constituent parts and how this information can be transferred to the environment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Simard-Duplain examined how divorce influences the labour supply of married women, from the time of marriage to the period following dissolution. She found that divorce impacts women by exacerbating vulnerabilities that already existed during marriage. This research informs how public policy can support people through marital transitions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Asgarova explored the experiences of mothers who received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby and decided to continue their pregnancy. This research study assists us in understanding the social, informational and emotional needs of these mothers, and provides insight as to how their experience could be improved. | Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD) |