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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dr. Tang's thesis work focused on the identification of cellular signalling pathways involved in diseases like cystic fibrosis and cancer. His research has shown that key inflammatory molecules can be manipulated to improve existing treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Alizadeh developed and studied a drug delivery system for the treatment of head injuries. Her research involved a polymeric system to deliver progesterone to the brain and investigate the effects of the transport system on blood properties and the brain. Her results provide opportunities to treat head trauma in a safer and more effective way. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Edwards developed numerical methods for the physical simulation of fluids. His work improves upon the accuracy and efficiency of previous methods. Applied to computer graphics, this work help to improve what is possible in special effects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Elfert examined the origins, features and shifts of UNESCO's approach to education and lifelong learning between 1945-2015. Her study contributes not only to the understanding of the conceptual and intellectual history of lifelong learning, but more broadly to the changes in global educational cooperation over the past 70 years. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Wicaksono investigated the interaction between metals and added impurities. Using networks of computers, he tracked the movement of individual atoms to develop models that incorporate atomistic information about the microstructural design of the materials. This work has the potential to improve the structural performance of metal materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Knapp examined the molecular underpinnings of mouse and human blood stem cells and how they control key decisions, including the decision to survive, grow, or differentiate. These studies lay a foundation on which future blood stem cell expansion strategies can be constructed, and have implications for the development of leukemia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Hanson conducted research on virus-mediated heart disease at the Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation at St. Paul's Hospital. Specifically, his work focused on viral proteases and their cellular targets. These findings may be useful in future diagnosis and treatment of this disease, preventing heart failure and death in these patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Alvarez-Jaimes completed his doctorate in Hispanic Studies. He investigated how the perception produced by the news about poverty and violence in an urban community in Colombia motivated the practice of hip hop. His research offers a new understanding of how dialogue can shape political actions and influence the transformation of marginalized spaces. | Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Grass explored the principles of fiscal policy in Ming China whereby reducing expenses rather than increasing revenue avoided greater demands on the economy. She concludes that this principle poses an alternative approach to fiscal policy that prioritizes local conditions over those of the political center. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Naddafzadeh Shirazi studied different aspects of wireless communication technologies and optimized them for supporting large networks and automated communications. He developed novel communication protocols for reducing the cost of operations and increasing the lifetime of wireless devices. Dr. Naddafzadeh Shirazi holds 7 US Patents. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Ou investigated the melting of solids in liquid titanium during electron beam processing. His work has helped us to understand the melting of aluminum-rich materials during the processing of titanium alloys. This knowledge is critically important to the structure and safety of aerospace products. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Microfluidic technology is transforming processes in molecular biology. Dr. White developed microfluidic devices to measure RNA, and applied this technology to examine cell-to-cell variability in a variety of tissues. This work contributes to our understanding of gene expression, which has application in both research and clinical settings. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Duan conducted her research in the optimization of the aluminum alloy wheel casting process. She developed a new methodology to improve the process parameters of this process. This research will shorten process development time and improve product quality. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Amirzeheni used computational methods to study the seismic performance of basement walls during an earthquake. Her research provided insights and recommendations for an appropriate fraction of the code-mandated loads in seismic design as they relate to current practice in BC. Her findings contribute to more economical seismic designs in BC. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Schmitt studied drug concentrations in skin tissue fluid for use in therapeutic drug detection. She found that many drugs are detectable in skin tissue fluid and that their concentrations can be quite different from blood concentrations. In the future, this can lead to the development of blood- and pain- free drug monitoring devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Wainer investigated the role of children's bodies in creating social relationships among the children, parents and physicians during cancer treatment. This information will help us understand the kinds of struggles children, families, and professionals face during treatment and will provide better tools to generate social and institutional changes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Lim examines how older Sakhalin Koreans reconfigure personhood through practices of kinship and citizenship moving between Russia, and South Korea. This dissertation offers a grounded understanding of how post-colonial, post-Cold War, and post-socialist transformations have shaped personhood in Northeast Asia and more broadly Eurasia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2016 | What's the best way to move an object? Dr. Usman developed a new magnetic levitation motor that controls the position of a single floating body without contact or additional moving structure. This novel high performance levitation device has many immediate applications in industrial automation and robotics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Smendziuk studied stem cell regulation in the fruit fly testis. He identified the gap junction proteins that help the soma and germline communicate with each other during sperm development and characterized their roles in the stem cell niche. These studies assist us in understanding how stem cell behaviour is controlled in all animals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Frohard-Dourlent examined the experiences of BC educators who work with transgender students. This work shows that educators navigate entrenched structures and communication patterns that favour gender conformity and make it difficult to support students. This work also highlights changes in educational practices so that students of all genders can thrive. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Poormasjedi-Meibod completed her doctoral studies in the field of drug delivery and wound healing. She developed a new generation of wound dressings with anti-scarring properties. The findings of her study will improve the wound healing outcome and the quality of life in millions of burn survivors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mahon developed a computer model to simulate zinc electrowinning cell houses. The resulting simulation was used to investigate optimal electrolyte conditions, process control applications, and reagent consumption. His work will improve energy efficiency and data analysis in zinc production facilities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Little is known about what makes for effective alternative education programs, or AEPs. From the perspective of former students, Dr. Hofer identified effective aspects of AEPs, including caring teachers and life skills learning. Her study revealed AEPs to be positive contexts to support some youth-at-risk, refuting current negative views of AEPs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Sylvester examined whether variety is truly a spice of life when it comes to exercise. He found that variety does influence how people feel in exercise settings, and can change their exercise behaviour. This knowledge will aid health promotion specialists to help more people enjoy exercise and reap the health benefits from physical activity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Boeck's research was focused on silicon photonics, which is an emerging technology for processing data using light. He created silicon photonic devices that will enable next generation computing, sensing, and telecom applications. His research was aimed at achieving commercially viable devices and will be central to the future of high-tech. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |