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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dr. Tack examined the evolution of alternative splicing in duplicated genes in the Brassicaceae family, showing divergence of alternative splicing between duplicates to be the most common outcome. He found rapid changes to alternative splicing upon allopolyploidization, and that these changes in new allopolyploids are distinct from changes found in established allopolyploids. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Gavelis showed that a single-celled organism evolved into a complex eye. He found that this strange cell used bacteria to form a miniature retina and cornea. His work sheds new light on eye evolution, showing even simple organisms can have complex adaptations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Tennant examined the role of a specific protein called Myt3 in the context of pancreas development and diabetes. His work identified this protein as a novel regulator of cell survival in the cells responsible for controlling blood glucose. His research points to Myt3 as a potential therapeutic target for improving the lives of diabetic patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Laidlaw explored how individuals look at and pay attention to other people. She documented several factors that influence whether and how people direct their attention to others in both everyday situations and while looking at images or videos. Her work bridges a gap between traditional theories of visual attention and everyday experiences. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Agrawal developed new methods to generate realistic, animated, character motion efficiently. His work uses physics-based simulation, motion-capture and optimization in order to create motion for applications including games, film, and training simulations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Nguyen investigated the regenerative activity of normal and malignant breast stem cells and developed a model to generate breast tumours from normal human breast cells. This work was instrumental in understanding the early changes that occur during tumour formation and how the diversity of breast cancer arises from normal starting cells. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2016 | The emergence of personalized medicine, due to advances in genomics and proteomics, has created a clinical demand for increasingly specific diagnostic testing. Dr. Lund developed and validated 2 such tests, aimed at specific forms of both leukemia and lung cancer. This unique approach has the potential to directly impact cancer diagnostics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Guided by her Elders and drawing on memories evoked by her grandmother's photos, Dr. Cranmer's research focuses on the challenges facing an adult heritage language learner in reclaiming her language, Kwak'wala. The study contributes to both learning and teaching insights for other residential school survivors to reconnect with their languages. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2016 | Why do some communities avoid armed conflict even when facing a significant threat? By studying the 20-year confrontation over coca in the Chapare region of Bolivia, Dr. Prest found that communities that resolve internal challenges collectively and inclusively seek out non-violent ways to resolve conflicts with other groups, including the state. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (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. Ji studied reasons for the preventive shift in Chinese criminal law. She claimed that the rise of risk control through criminal justice methods was a state response to uncertainties generated by reforms. Her research not only promotes Chinese socio-legal study, but also makes contributions to international comparative study of criminal law. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Liu examines how retrotransposons are silenced in germ cells. He developed a high-throughput method to map chemical modifications on histones in germ cells; with this method, he found loss of a special histone modification leads to retrotransposon reactivation and germ cell death, demonstrating its vital importance in mammalian development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mancini explored how linguistics research on the production and reception of speech can contribute to understanding poetry, literature and literary history. He found that rumour, reported speech and unhappy laughter have been important forces in shaping literary canons. His work contributes to dialogue between social sciences and humanities. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Akbarian's research examined the fundamental aspects of the general theory of relativity. He used computational resources to solve Einstein's equation in black hole formation scenarios and found new solutions that contribute to a better understanding of the theory of gravity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Skipper studied how teachers develop insights and knowledge about their practice. He examined personal, professional and social influences that contribute to individual understandings of teaching. His research addresses the complex considerations that drive teacher professional identities. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2016 | Aerosols are an important component of the atmosphere that influence weather and climate. Dr. Mason's research examined how aerosols may modify cloud formation, lifetime, and reflectivity by causing ice formation. In developing a new technique and deploying it in field studies, his results provide insight into the properties of ice-active aerosols. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Bround studied the role of the RYR2 protein in heart cells. He found that the same signals that cause heart contraction are also involved in maintaining heart rate and promoting energy production. His work provides both insights into how heart cells coordinate their activity as well as a greater understanding of heart health and disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Tong studied how the E3 ligases and helper NLRs affect plant immunity.These studies help us to better understand how plants defend against pathogens. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Pickell examined the impacts of human appropriation of Canada's boreal forest on the spatial patterns of forested ecosystems. He developed new approaches for evaluating forest land management strategies and remotely monitoring the ecological condition of our forests. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Melashvili studied the leaching of gold with thiosulphate that had been generated by the simultaneous oxidation of pyrite. She derives an equation predicting thiosulphate yield based on a conceptual model for the progress of a series of reactions. Her findings offer an interesting possibility for process development in the gold sector. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Blasberg examined how perfectionistic personality impacts the thoughts and feelings people have when ostracized. He found people who need to be or appear perfect, react to being ostracized with more intense feelings and negative thoughts. His work helps explain how perfectionistic personality leads to emotional distress in response to ostracism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (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. Schwartz developed a new theory to explain why only some Canadian cities create policies that are likely to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She identified the influence of dedicated environmental departments within the city administration as an important factor. Her work will help cities to fight climate change more effectively. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Singh examined the relationship between tribal communities and forests in India. Her research establishes the criminalization of tribal way-of-life on account of inconsistent forest laws. The research offers insights into participatory forest management to protect tribal rights and forests, advocating a serious overhaul of forest laws. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (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) |