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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Dr. Zimmerman designed and synthesized a new ligand scaffold for nickel and palladium complexes. The resulting metal complexes and and their reactivity patterns were studied and what emerged was that the ligand can participate in chemistry at the metal center. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Applying arts-based methods, Dr. Stooshnov researched the relationship between virtual reality (VR) and drama within literacy learning. He compared VR technology to historical theatre practices by creating a dramatic dialogue between past and future. This work considers the educational possibilities of interactive engagement in a virtual classroom. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Yeh studied the biomechanics of aortic aneurysm and heart valves. His research identified the physical parameters affecting the stresses experienced by the aneurysm and blood flow. Combined with blood coagulation characterizations, his work can enhance the current management for aneurysm patients via patient-specific modelling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Hussein developed methods to help people who suffer from epilepsy. These methods analyze the brain data of the patient to determine whether a person is experiencing a seizure or whether a seizure is imminent. This knowledge is used to warn patients of upcoming seizures so they stop unsafe activities and better regulate their medication intake. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. York examined how metabolic reprogramming shapes the brain's immune system. Both her results and methodological contributions to the research community have provided a clearer understanding of the link between cellular metabolism and the immune state of the brain. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Sriram studied structures termed tubulobulbar complexes, which are involved in removing cell-to-cell attachments during sperm development in the mammalian testis. She developed methods in culture and in vivo to test the hypothesis that these complexes are involved in the movement of the next generation of sperm cells within the testis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Implantable electronic devices have been evolving at a rapid pace. Dr. Cai investigated several design techniques and various systems in developing the radio system to meet the stringent size and power requirements of miniaturized biomedical implantable devices. This work contributes to next generation diagnostics and therapeutics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Smith-Dijak demonstrated that processes regulating the stability of brain cell function are disrupted in Huntington disease, and can be restored by treatment with drugs that stimulate the sigma-1 receptor. This helps us better understand the processes underlying neurodegenerative diseases and how to treat them. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Takai investigated orthographic processing in the brain. He found that the brain is a system for symbol processing that keeps becoming faster, more specific and efficient than processing unfamiliar visual symbols throughout adulthood. These results assist learners of an additional language in our multicultural society. | Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology and Speech Sciences (PhD) |
| 2019 | Polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, affects up to 18% of women worldwide. Dr. Cutler examined the impact of nutrition on the metabolic, reproductive and mental health of women. Her findings support the need for more comprehensive treatment options for PCOS. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Liu studied a special type of quantum materials called Dirac materials. He proved that the response of Dirac materials to elastic deformation highly mimics that to electromagnetic fields. This unique feature makes Dirac materials stand out from other quantum materials and renders them useful for the future application in quantum technologies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Knesl studied how technological innovations affect firms, households and stock prices. His work connects technological improvements to movements of stock prices by looking at how technology affects different types of labor. His empirical evidence shows a specific connection between macro economy and stock markets. | Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Finance (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Rafn's research focused on delivery of rehabilitation for women with breast cancer. She provided insight into the experiences and preferences for delivery, and developed resources to support self-managed detection and rehabilitation of issues. This work may improve early detection, access to care, and prevent the development of chronic issues. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Sarwar developed flexible sensors that can detect pressure, light touch and proximity. Such sensors can detect the slippage of an object and can help equip robots to conduct dextrous manipulations such as cracking an egg. In addition to applications in flexible cell phones, the sensors are able to mimic human skin for use in robotics and prosthetics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Pow examined the social support process. She found that what people think is at stake during stressful situations might play a role in shaping the support process. She also found that the type of support mobilized is related to fluctuations in pain intensity for those with rheumatoid arthritis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Hassan developed several adaptive transmission schemes that can simultaneously improve the throughput and provide latency guarantee for delay-sensitive traffic in the terrestrial free space optical communication systems. These transmission schemes can substantially improve the performance of fifth-generation fixed wireless access and backhaul networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer 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. Lambert studied why nearly half of all women do not adhere to hormonal therapy for breast cancer. She highlighted the complexity of adherence from the perspective of women and healthcare providers. Understanding real-world factors influencing adherence is important in determining how to better support women in using these therapies over time. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Yao used machine learning and advanced statistical models to study the acute health effect of air pollution. She discovered that ambulance calls for heart, lung and diabetic conditions increased within hours of exposure to wildfire smoke. Her findings can help protect public health from the growing impacts of wildfire smoke under climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2019 | Over the past couple of decades, wastewater contaminated with selenium has become a major issue in mining. Dr. Mohammadi developed a novel method for the removal of selenium using a reducing agent called chromous. The invention of this process has significant impact on the current treatment of wastewater containing selenium. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Warner studied the effect of medications on recovery after spinal cord injury. Using secondary data, she performed analyses to identify the beneficial effects of a specific drug, as well as map the progression of pain after injury. Her research contributes to the search for treatments after spinal cord injury and their potential clinical applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Ben Bouchta developed a method of measuring how much radiation healthy tissues receive during radiotherapy. He subsequently applied this method to compare different radiotherapy techniques and found that it is possible to reduce the risk of radiation-induced thyroid cancer by up to 10% in patients who receive whole-lung irradiation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Clinical guidelines should be informed by the latest evidence and analytic methods. Dr. Kanters used new methods to support the World Health Organization HIV guidelines, informing the change of the recommended first-line treatment. This research also showed that newer methods using more complex data do not always improve guideline development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Held studied political alienation in advanced industrialized democracies. His study shows the limitations of traditional institutional fixes and highlights the role of both procedural and substantive information for civic engagement. These findings may inform government strategies to increase youth voter turnout and political accountability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Smid showed that dairy cows have a partial preference to access various outdoor areas and that outdoor space allowance influences this preference. In addition, she showed a positive influence of an outdoor space on the expression of heat behaviour of dairy cows. These results show the importance of access to the outdoors for dairy cattle. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |