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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Bernhardt addressed longstanding questions about the abundance and distribution of life on Earth. She showed that the temperature-dependence of population dynamics can be predicted from the temperature-dependence of individual metabolism, lending strong support for the role of energetic constraints in governing population growth and abundance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Etrati studied displacement of a fluid in a pipe by another fluid with different properties, to improve primary cementing of oil and gas wells. A successful primary cementing job is crucial to ensure sealing of the wells, and prevent short and long term environmental damage due to leakage from the reservoirs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Do the respiratory muscles of men and women fatigue differently? Dr. Welch investigated sex-based differences in diaphragmatic fatigue. Specifically, how diaphragm fatigue affects the cardiovascular system and endurance exercise performance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Why do some armed groups use child soldiers and some let them go? Dr. Plowright's research in Syria and Myanmar shows that certain armed groups will release child soldiers in order to appear more legitimate to international actors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (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. Raisinghani examined teachers' perspectives on students' cultural diversity and responsive science and mathematics teaching. Her research adds to the scant literature on this topic and provides insights into culturally responsive teaching in a Canadian context. It also brings Canadian teachers' voices to the fore in the field of multicultural science education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Wang's research is in the field of bio-chemical production. He developed a systemic approach to examining the economics and risk analysis of industrial-scale biomass projects. The outcomes can facilitate discussion among bio-refineries, investors and biomass producers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Chattaraj explored the effect of long-range hopping in dynamics of interacting particles. His research developed a method for efficient calculation of two-particle Green's functions in higher dimensional lattices and graph structures such as binary trees. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kulkarni studied nanoparticles to enable gene therapies for the treatment of liver diseases. Through his research, he overturned the existing paradigm of the structure of these nanoparticles; proposed a novel structure; and re-engineered the nanoparticles for diagnostics and gene therapy applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | What does it mean to live in a multicultural society? Dr. Ho examined how participating in ethnic organizations can help individuals integrate into Canada while maintaining their ties to an ancestral country. Her work demonstrates how organizations facilitate individuals' identity development and foster connections to both the ancestral country and Canada. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Mahlberg explored the biography and works of the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja who lived from 1887-1947. This study, the first of its kind in English, considers Madetoja in light of issues of national identity and politics, and provides an overview of his place and musical contributions in the context of European musical culture. | Doctor of Philosophy in Music, Emphasis Musicology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. MacLennan developed a fast, environmentally friendly and cost-effective chemical analysis method to characterize oil sands contaminants in environmental waters. The method was used to chemically fingerprint contaminated water samples according to their origin, providing a complementary approach to oil sands forensics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kaldas studied perfectionism in patients. She examined how the need to appear perfect impacted patients' interpersonal relations and the process of group psychotherapy. This work can help inform clinicians on how to better attend to and address perfectionistic patients, allowing them to benefit more from psychotherapy. | 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. Tsao studied the safety of treatments for autoimmune diseases when used during pregnancy. Autoimmune diseases occur more frequently in females and untreated disease results in harm to both mothers and offspring. Her research findings show that a group of medications called biologics are safe and effective treatment options during pregnancy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Shigematsu wrote and performed a theatrical one-person show called Empire of the Son, in which he explores his relationship as an Asian Canadian with his traditional Japanese father. This research illuminates the complexities and emotional labor involved with writing, performing and touring the world with an autobiographical work of theatre. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sumner demonstrated that promoting cooperation among dairy farmers and veterinarians can identify shared goals and improve communication across their diverse perspectives in improving calf welfare. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Janot studied articulated corallines, calcifying red algae that have flexible, uncalcified joints. She compared joints of independently evolving groups, finding that material and chemical differences can result in similar mechanical outcomes. This research clarifies the process of convergent evolution at several levels of biological organization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Silveira studied how the brain allocates cognitive effort for lucrative outcomes. His work identified regions and neurotransmitters that bias organisms to put in mental effort for outcomes they want. Such work sheds light on how these processes may be disrupted in disorders characterized by blunted effort exertion, such as depression and schizophrenia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (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. 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. Ko studied brain cells known as astrocytes, and identified a novel protein that mediates calcium signals in them. Findings revealed that the protein is activated by mechanical force, raising interesting possibilities for the role of astrocytes in conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Andrusiek studied the role of 'chain of survival' interventions used for resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He used non-experimental designs and different analytic techniques to identify benefits and harms, and showed that there is a critical need for definitively evaluating these interventions using a randomized trial design. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Whitfield studied the machinery that drives the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles, the 'transport vans' of the cell. He identified several new components of this machinery, helping us to understand a fundamental cellular trafficking process implicated in a range of neurological and inflammatory diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Heinkel investigated a novel biophysical mechanism of membrane protein clustering in the pathogen causing tuberculosis. His work helps to understand the physiology of these clinically important bacteria and might lead to a route for therapeutics against the disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |