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. 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. 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. Nutini studied greedy optimization methods for large-scale machine learning. She showed how to theoretically and empirically speed up these methods by leveraging their flexibility and exploiting problem structure. Her work revitalized the use of greedy methods for solving popular machine learning problems, proving that sometimes, greed IS good. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Miller's research studied the atomic properties of xenon. He produced states in xenon, which are sensitive to the effects of magnetism, and probed these states using ultraviolet laser light. His research will help create xenon-based magnetic sensors that work in the near-vacuum conditions of subatomic physics experiments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (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. Zhang examined the financial reporting of foreign firms and foreign auditors in the U.S. He found that foreign firms are subject to less frequent monitoring than U.S. firms and foreign auditors provide quality as good as the U.S. non-Big4 auditors. Findings address recent concern over the quality of foreign auditors practicing in the U.S. | Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Accounting (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Garcia examined the law and practice of citizen participation in resource allocations in Brazil. Her research offered new data on the workings of participation in health systems. This advances our understanding about the significant role of citizens in ensuring accountable resource allocations that both improve access and support population health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Henkelmann searched for heavy quarks, predicted by theories beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics. He analyzed data recorded by the ATLAS detector at CERN and contributed to the determination of the relative spatial position of the inner most measurement devices of the detector, allowing for a successful data taking campaign. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (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 | Fuel cells are promising devices to sustain our increasing need for clean energy. Dr. Chan developed a novel catalyst component using nanofibrous materials to study the impact of material and structural properties on fuel cell performance. The findings from her research can reduce costs and increase efficiencies in future fuel cell designs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (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 | 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 | Dr. DuMerton described what helps and hinders early parenting women who are impacted by substance use. This research contributes a practical understanding of the needs of this vulnerable population and will assist professionals who treat mothers' addiction issues while they remain together with their babies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (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. 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. Luedee studied the environmental history of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. He demonstrated how the demarcation of political borders in the western Arctic and the creation of boundary concepts in the biophysical sciences, transformed human understandings of and relationships with this group of migratory animals during the twentieth century. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (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 | 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) |
| 2018 | The human body is home to approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms including bacteria and other microbes. Dr. Cait examined how this microbiome impacts asthma susceptibility and highlighted the importance of microbially-derived metabolites in preventing this disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Several microorganisms use elasticity to creep around, evade a predator, and to interact with their environment in fluids. Using mathematical models, Dr. Nasouri examined the effects of elasticity on the behaviors of microorganisms and showed that, indeed, elasticity can play a key role in motion of a cell in fluids. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Cameras cannot capture the full range of light intensities without losing image accuracy. Dr. Rouf proposed a computational optimization framework and developed methods for reconstructing high-fidelity photographs. This framework challenges expensive, conventional solutions and provides a practical use for everyday photography. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | The parasite Leishmania is a major public health issue in many tropical and subtropical countries. Dr. Rosamont-Ursulet studied the role of a family of Leishmania proteins in promoting the parasite survival in mammals. This research provides further understanding of the parasite biology in order to identify potential targets for new drug therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |