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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dr. Erickson researched the effects of warming and human activity on forests in Alberta. He found that human activity changed forest fires in a way that may slow tree migrations while reducing understory light. His work was the first to combine dynamic vegetation modeling and machine learning, which may broadly benefit earth systems modeling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Jain studied synthetic organic chemistry. She investigated naphthols, an important chemical intermediate used to make many other compounds. Her findings advance our overall understanding of chemical synthesis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Zaman studied the numerical modelling of swirling turbulent flows of water encountered in a variety of natural and engineering phenomena including in hydrocyclones. He proposed a novel criterion to help analyze such flows. His work provides a foundation to reduce the computational cost of numerical modelling of swirling flows | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Vincart-Emard simulated black hole dynamics to address fundamental questions related to superconductivity, entanglement propagation, and spacetime instabilities in higher-dimensional settings. Findings revealed unexpected physical consequences that may impact the solid state and gravitational physics communities alike. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Dickman examined the serum of individuals with oral cancer to detect molecules that could be used in an early diagnosis test. He also found that similar molecules are secreted from cancer cells to alter the tissue around them to promote tumor growth. His work will have significant impact on oral cancer diagnosis and treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Pakula's research provided the first national estimates for mental health disorders among gay, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual Canadians. Her analysis revealed sexual minorities face a disproportionate mental health burden, linked to stress and isolation. Her research is informing the elimination of mental health disparities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Mohamadi designed and developed a collection of novel algorithms and software tools for the analysis of massive bioinformatics data. Theses algorithms and software tools are publicly available for free to facilitate research at health and life sciences laboratories and other organizations worldwide. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Sun is the energy source of nature. But unlike our high-tech solar cells, the solar devices of nature (leaves!) use flexible materials, wet processes and low temperatures. Dr. Rahmanian has developed flexible leaf-like materials and room-temperature wet deposition for solar cells that are cheap, light weight and can be integrated into our clothing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Using machine learning techniques, Dr. Zhang developed a method to group high-dimensional cases using hierarchical approaches. He also developed a predictive framework called Regression Phalanxes which selects subsets of features that work well together for prediction. This new framework outperforms current methods in a variety of applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Globa's work has demonstrated that drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, impact how brain cells communicate with one another at specialized points of contact called 'synapses'. Her work specifically shows that synaptic connections must be malleable or 'plastic' to promote behaviours associated with addiction in mice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2017 | Barriers in epithelia block germs and prevent fluid loss. Gliotactin is essential to form these barriers, but too much Gliotactin leads to tumor-like growth and tissue disruption. Dr. Samarasekera identified cellular pathways that are involved in this tissue disruption, increasing our understanding why misregulation of barrier proteins can lead to cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Roxanas studied evolution Partial Differential Equations, focusing on the Nonlinear Heat Equation and the Harmonic Map Heat Flow. He investigated conditions under which the solutions exist for all times, and studied their asymptotic behaviour. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2017 | The world is full of mixtures of unobserved source signals. Dr. Zou's doctoral studies focused on recovering the underlying source signals from a limited number of observations. His proposed methods can be utilized in a wide class of physiological signals for artifact removal and for better interpretations of these signals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Ma completed his studies in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on data communication. He developed several signal processing designs to improve the performance of visible light communication in indoor environments. His work provides insight for designing next-generation wireless communication systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Tavassoli developed novel data mining methods to study a range of complex materials, from pulp samples to cancer cells. This work has applications in many industries, particularly benefiting pulp makers as the unique combination of techniques offers insights to improve the accuracy of predicting product properties of the variety of raw materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Fergusson researched the cognitive mechanisms involved in the timing of everyday activities, such as steeping a cup of tea or cooking an egg. These intervals had previously received very little attention in the timing literature. Her research demonstrates that these intervals appear to be reconstructed based on our memory for the events that have occurred. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Ashton studied new historical texts to examine how theories of human psychology were used to design early political institutions. He demonstrated a correlation between the rise of China's first empire and the rituals that affect people's emotions. This research changes our understanding of early political and religious history. | Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Shahbazi has developed a numerical tool to predict the evolution of critical damage modes in composite materials. This virtual testing framework can replace physical testing and will reduce associated costs. Her novel methodology will be applied to advanced aerospace structures and automotive components. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Shift work is common in our society but also affects health. Dr. Hall investigated ways to improve the measurement of shift work, for better research on worker health. She demonstrated that current methods can be enhanced by measuring light at night, using detailed definitions of exposure, and examining shift work policies and practices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Mysore Balasubramanya proposed novel, cost-effective enhancements to the power saving mechanism currently adopted by the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. The proposed solutions address battery operated Machine Type Communication (MTC) devices, especially those in low network coverage and result in improved energy efficiency, thus increasing their battery life. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Lee-Sayer studied how interaction with the environment influences the function of blood cells. Specifically, she investigated the ability to interact with hyaluronan. This work has highlighted the importance of hyaluronan in regulating the development and function of blood cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Tumors, within the endocrine system, are difficult to detect as well as treat. Dr. Blanc developed a novel method producing unique bioactive peptides. This process paves the way for improved therapeutics and imaging agents, particularly against aggressive and lethal cancers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Shi created computer methods that identify which DNA sequence alterations impact the on/off switches for gene activity. This research will help us understand how each person's DNA increases or decreases the risk for health problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Bahrami studied energy management programs to reduce cost and increase reliability in power grids. He designed algorithms to match power generation levels to residential energy demands and data centers in distribution networks. His work will help balance peak electricity demands with consumer use. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Moghadam-zadeh studied mineral process engineering. She developed a test procedure to evaluate the advantages of high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), an application for extracting precious compounds. This test procedure will replace conventional techniques with energy-efficient methods in the early stages of industrial project studies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |