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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dr. Ritch developed ways to use the DNA in blood samples from cancer patients to personalize their treatments. He used this technology to identify and study DNA defects that sensitize prostate cancers to specific therapies and integrated his methods into screening programs for Canadian prostate cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Sharafian studied T cell development in infants, focusing on the physiological effects of T cells on the intestinal organoid model. She found that T cells induce the proliferation and differentiation of the infant's intestinal epithelial cells. Her work has potential implications for therapeutic advancements in infant intestinal diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Collins demonstrated how the Japanese new religion Shinnyo-en is shaped by sacred stories about its founders. He found that members form emotional bonds with one another, the founders, and the organization by intertwining the founders' narratives with their own lives and with elements of Japanese Buddhist ritual, objects, spaces, and art. | Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Queinnec examined the ability of novel airborne and spaceborne remote sensing technologies to characterize three-dimensional vegetation structure in boreal forests of Canada. His work provides enhanced knowledge about forest resources in both managed and unmanaged forested ecosystems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2023 | Translational approaches to restoring autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Dutta's research focussed on the recovery of Molybdenum and separation of impurity metal ions from acidic molybdenum solutions. She developed different flowsheets evaluating extraction techniques to recover pure molybdenum metal. Her findings contribute to the advancement of existing processes of molybdenum separation in the mining industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Du Toit used Airborne Laser Scanning to model genetically improved Douglas-fir trees. Descriptors were used to assess tree performance, and predict genetic parameters. He found that ALS is capable of describing trees at multiple scales, and should be used in breeding programs due the cost savings and insights the technology provides. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Anokwuru's dissertation examined how narratives of people with disabilities, their families, educators, and policymakers can inform inclusive education in Nigeria. Research findings advance the importance of self-advocacy, collaboration, and aligning change efforts across structures and roles, thereby designing an ecology of inclusive education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Zeng introduced a new method of imaging the human liver with 3D ultrasound. The method quantitatively determines liver tissue stiffness in a large 3D volume. This will enable more accurate evaluation of chronic liver disease, in an accessible and inexpensive manner, suitable for the large percentage of the population. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Bergen examined landscapes and buildings in medieval and Renaissance allegories. These understudied natural and built environments present a paradigm for metaphor that is as important as personification for this literary genre, and stand at the heart of medieval and early modern thought and writing on space, time, memory, and the individual. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Huang studied users' perceptions of sharing private information via several technologies, such as smart speakers. Her findings improve understanding of users' concerns, mental models, and risk mitigation strategies. Subsequently, she developed recommendations for protecting users' online privacy and improving their experiences. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Mohammad addressed challenges related to the automatic configuration of software systems, specifically in the context of the Internet of Things. Modern applications may have a million or more possible configurations and Dr. Mohammad's research provides engineers with tools to identify good configurations efficiently. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. MacDonald solved several problems related to symbolic dynamics, a mathematical field that explores deep, technical analogies between the thermodynamics of gases and magnets and the grammars of formal languages. She introduced definitions and methods that put earlier work in a systematic framework, emphasizing structural and combinatorial ideas. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Morris studied advanced MRI scans which can measure white matter health in the brain and spinal cord. She used these scans to quantify myelin across the brain in healthy children and adults and to track myelin loss after a spinal cord injury. Her research validated the specificity of the scan contrast by comparison with histological staining. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2023 | As the Global North increasingly recruits international post-secondary students as so-called ideal immigrants, the role of higher education is shifting. Dr. Brunner described this distinct form of immigration as edugration and, focusing on Canada, explored its complexities related to settler colonialism, surveillance, border imperialism, and justice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Garg studied how proteins involved in ALS and COVID-19 work at the molecular scale in causing disease. A potential vaccination strategy against coronaviruses has emerged from this. Dr. Garg also established culturing protocols and genome sequence for a comb jelly which will be used to understand animal evolution. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Forrest researched the origins and development of a real-time urban traffic control system in Los Angeles, California. Through this case study, he sheds light on how both the material and cultural aspects of a municipal organization shape the city-wide implementation of digital infrastructures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Milla-Moreno examined the potential use of native trees to restore ecosystems damaged by copper mines in Chile. After assessing several tree species, the evergreen tree quillay was found suitable for this purpose because it keeps copper in the roots, as shown by mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence imaging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Abdelaal's work aims to augment the surgeon skills in robot-assisted surgery. He designed novel interfaces that can use collected data in this surgical setting to improve surgical training and skill assessment. He also designed autonomous systems to help surgeons with their repetitive tasks so that they can focus on the more demanding ones. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Collaboration is a complex and relational practice, compounded by varying forms of power dynamics between government and non-profit stakeholders. Dr. Gill-Badesha presents insights informing practitioners and funders about the role of engaging processes and emotions to mitigate issues of power and politics in the early stages of collaboration. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Jarnikova used a submesoscale ocean model of the Salish Sea to study anthropogenic ocean acidification in this valuable ecosystem, showing that significant changes have occurred since the preindustrial era. She developed a carbonate chemistry module for the model, as well as applying machine-learning methods to model interpretation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Lingua's work explores the opportunities that arise from the analysis of social media images for the study of nature-based recreation. His work shows that by combining machine learning and traditional economic techniques, it is possible to assess forest recreational values. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dewatering of slurries and sludge is a critical industrial process. Dr. MacIver's research developed an approach to analyzing 3D X-ray images of flocs and sediments to provide new insights into how floc structure and composition change during the dewatering proces. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Todorovic developed new methods for constraining cyclic peptides. These peptides showed preliminary utility in killing cancer cells or medical imaging of tumors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2023 | Dr. Parada Torres developed two new methods to estimate distances to nearby galaxies by using evolved stars as calibrators. Besides measuring distances, her research helped identify systematic biases and uncertainties in current calibrations. These new methods will help improve the determination of the rate of expansion of the universe. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |