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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Wijesekera developed a contextual permission system to better safeguard personal and sensitive resources in smartphones. The new permission system significantly increases privacy protection of current mobile platforms over the status-quo by engaging the users more effectively. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Balandeh developed a routine to grow high-quality single crystals of barium bismuth oxide and studied their electronic structure with x-ray spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations. Barium bismuth oxide family exhibits interesting physical properties including superconductivity. This research showed it is predominantly the oxygen that dictates these interesting physical and electronic behaviors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Canen studied the organization of political institutions, including the formation of political networks, the sources and effects of polarization, and the impacts of information during campaigns. To do so, he also developed new theoretical models with improved statistical properties for these problems. Such tools may be applied in other fields. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Tran studied the genetic factors that contribute to the complex process of wood formation in trees. Understanding the influence of different genes on wood formation will enable the improvement of wood quality for various applications, including the potential for bioethanol production. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Moore developed prediction equations that can be used by clinicians and researchers to estimate maturational status in children and youth. She applied these equations to a young adult cohort and found that later maturity was not negatively associated with bone mass, density, structure or strength. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Marshall developed a technique to study how human mitochondria trigger cell death. Using this technique, she found new events implicated in cell death as well as unique events triggered during bacterial infection. This work addresses a technical gap in studying the 'powerhouse of the cell' and its control over human cell death. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Johnston worked with Inuit mothers in Nunavut to examine child welfare in relation to changes families experience due to mining in the territory. Her research informs standards, legislation, policies and programs to protect Inuit children and youth in ways that respect and incorporate Inuit culture and traditional knowledge. | Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Solomonian explored the relationship between culture and photography amongst the shishalh Nation, showing how photography is connected to, and shaped by, place, history, memory, as well as politics and power. This research highlights the importance of family photograph collections to communities, as an often-overlooked aspect of Indigenous visual-material culture. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Lay studied individuals' thoughts and emotions when in solitude (without social interaction) across cultures. Far from being an inherently lonely experience, she found motivation, older age, and social resources can help us thrive in solitude. Solitude is a multifaceted part of daily life, and her research reveals ways we may reap its benefits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Robinson studied the long-term use of membranes to treat drinking water for communities. She discovered that membrane performance deteriorates over time, due to changing membrane physical and chemical properties. Her work has established methods to better understand membrane ageing, as well as recommendations to prolong membrane service life. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sommerfeld investigated how two specific protein complexes regulate the cell division process in cervical cancer cells. His studies identified novel functions for these protein complexes, and showed how loss of their activities may contribute to uncontrolled cell division and cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Qian studied molecular interactions. He introduced a new algorithm to a conventional method to make it applicable in real life applications such as anti-cancer drug-screening technology. His research has provided a new solution to the measurement of drug-binding, and it will potentially benefit the pharmaceutical industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Dzal's research focused on the physiological responses of mammals in extreme environments. Looking at newborns and adult mammals, she showed that hibernation may have evolved via retention of newborn traits. Her comparative studies enhance our understanding of the adaptations that permit animals to live in extreme environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Deeg discovered and characterized several unusual pathogens that infect and kill aquatic microbes: an abundant giant virus and a highly reduced bacteria that infect eukaryotic plankton and a vampire-like bacterial predator of bacteria. His work revealed evolutionary innovations that allow these remarkable pathogens to exploit their hosts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Soils play a crucial, but often under-estimated, role in the water cycle. Dr. Roa-García analyzed the properties of common soils in the Colombian Andes, and found that nano-particle size minerals increase the ability of these soils to hold and release water. This knowledge informs management practices to optimize water for food and communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Elleouet studied spruce populations in Alaska to understand how expanding forests evolve in a changing climate. She found that the trees' long time to maturity and the capacity to disperse pollen across large distances might help these forests keep a healthy level of genetic diversity. She also explored the use of genomic data to infer past demographic changes in natural tree populations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Former U.S. President Bush once said, "The world is addicted to oil". To address this, Dr. Zhong examined the possibility of making bioethanol from sustainably sourced wood residues as an alternative to oil for transport. Her research advances the industrialization of lignocellulosic bioethanol production. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ahn explored the powerful role images can play in how we perceive the environment and environmental issues. Specifically, she investigated how visual rhetorical modes in environmental documentaries influenced viewers. Her work will further our understanding of how visual rhetoric can engender awareness and a willingness to act in more eco-conscious ways. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ghadermarzy studied the problem of completing multi-dimensional arrays, i.e., tensors from noisy or 1-bit measurements of a subset of their entries. Tensor completion is applicable whenever the data has missing or corrupted entries which can be the result of a faulty sensor or when taking measurements is too expensive. He proved optimal bound on the minimum required number of measurements for certain classes of tensors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Aijazi examined how people have flourished following natural disasters in the mountainscapes of Northern Pakistan and Kashmir. He highlights the diverse ways his participants sustain themselves despite conditions of violence. He reveals that lived and felt experience are sites of knowledge, and theory is not just about seeing, but also feeling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Teichert examined digital literacy practices of children in their homes before and after kindergarten entry. She found children moved fluidly between digital and non-digital activities during play, but that parents had concerns about their children's use of digital devices and preferred that their children engage in non-digital activities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kreynes studied how specific cell signalling mechanisms impact a plant's ability to produce flavonoid antioxidants in order to improve our understanding and yield of beneficial phytochemicals. Flavonoids help plants cope with stress, and are components in medicinal plants that can help us treat diseases and live longer healthier lives. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | How do fish transport oxygen in the blood? Dr. Harter's work describes a special mechanism in salmon that enhances oxygen unloading to the exercising muscles. Thus, salmon hearts need to pump less blood, which may be central to their iconic spawning migrations. This mechanism may apply to most fishes, a group that comprises half of all vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Mehrbod studied how teams work together using state of the art 3D and 4D-modelling technologies during building design. He formalized the coordination processes, identified bottlenecks, and proposed novel design considerations. His results have practical implications for the construction industry, and the software development community. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Bedo studied cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on how children's brains develop the ability to read. His research examined how brain networks coordinate to make reading happen and how this differs in kids who struggle with reading. His research offers insights into how reading programs affect brain development and how this training can be improved. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |