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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dr. Ramogida developed new medical imaging agents for positron-emission tomography scans, to detect cancer and heart disease using radioactive metals. She studied methods to safely incorporate the metals into pharmaceuticals. These non-conventional metals have the potential to mitigate the global shortage of the metal used in current imaging agents. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Qian investigated the mechanisms of enzymes involved in the synthesis of important natural products called ergot alkaloids, including the anti-migraine drug ergotamine. His novel work showed how these enzymes synthesize precursors from an amino acid. This research triggered the discovery of innovative approaches to synthesizing similar compounds. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Songbirds exhibit an extraordinary amount of diversity. Dr. Delmore showed how differences in seasonal migration could contribute to the generation of this diversity. Using state of the art genetic sequencing techniques she also provided novel insight into the genetic basis of songbird diversity and seasonal migration. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Meyers completed her doctoral research in the field of Physics. She developed a tool to measure water and myelin in the brain with magnetic resonance imaging. She used this technique to study changes in brain water due to dehydration and multiple sclerosis drugs. This tool will be useful for evaluating the effects of treatments for brain disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Toloui developed a model to evaluate changes in the microstructure of oil and gas pipelines designed for the Arctic. His studies focused on the welds that are critical for the integrity of pipelines. His findings may contribute to improve safety of pipelines by providing deeper insight into microstructure changes at weaker areas of pipelines. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Tomberg's research in probability and statistical mechanics focused on applying a rigorous renormalisation group method to compute critical correlation functions. This research contributes to our understanding of statistical properties of interacting systems in the vicinity of a critical point. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Burns conducted his research on the extraction and purification of metals. He developed a new process for extracting uranium from mined ore using a novel electrochemical technique. This process has the potential to both lower the cost of uranium production at a mine site, and reduce the amount of waste generated. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Cassels studied the ways in which we measure children's ability to understand what other people are thinking and feeling. Her research revealed how elements of the measurement process can bias this assessment. Her research highlights changes that can be made to improve the accuracy of measurement instruments for children. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Boulton-Funke completed her doctoral research in the field of Curriculum Studies. Focussing on teacher education, she explored the practices of teachers of visual arts. Her findings will help us understand how creative thought, intuition and memory can influence the approaches used in the practice of visual arts teachers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Brimacombe studied genetic exchange elements in bacteria called gene transfer agents. He discovered that those gene transfer agents are functionally a blend of two different bacterial genetic exchange processes: natural genetic transformation and virus-mediated transduction. These findings have important implications in bacterial evolution. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Ice streams are narrow, fast-flowing regions within an ice sheet, and they account for the majority of the Antarctic ice loss. Dr. Haseloff studied the migration of ice streams. Her work allows us to include this process in models of the Antarctic ice sheet, and improves our ability to predict Antarctic ice loss and contribution to sea level rise. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Malan examined resource management, using two tans-boundary conservation case studies in southern Africa. Using a governance and a collaboration capability model, she found that the lack of formal trans-boundary institutions impede decision-making. Her findings improve our understanding of failures in trans-boundary natural resource governance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Kasaian studied the molecular cause of several head and neck endocrine malignancies. While the commonly diagnosed papillary thyroid carcinomas harbored very few mutations, the rare but deadly anaplastic thyroid cancers were found to have accrued numerous genomic alterations. Molecular analysis hinted to potential drug targets in some patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Wheeler completed his doctoral studies in the field of Chemistry. He investigated the formation conditions of ice in the atmosphere. Through controlled laboratory studies he improved the ability to predict ice formation in atmospheric models. This research will enable more accurate prediction of atmospheric processes and climate. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Biln studied how molecular barriers between cells are assembled and maintained. These barriers are essential to organism development. She identified novel roles for a critical protein in barrier organization and epithelial cell survival. This advances our knowledge of how cellular barriers are developed and provides insight into therapeutic targets. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Air quality models help scientists to study how air pollution depends on weather and harmful emissions. Dr. Shi explored novel statistical approaches to evaluating air quality models. The application of these methods revealed fresh insights, linking the predictions from the model performance to specific weather and emission conditions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Alipour studied events that happened billions of years ago when the Universe was very young. She investigated the effects of these events on the evolution of the Universe, and proposed satellite missions to deepen our understanding of the young Universe. Her results improve the current theories, to better test cosmology with the upcoming data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Sterling completed her research in Materials Engineering and studied magnesium-neodymium alloys for use in automobiles. She found that neodymium drastically alters the behaviour of magnesium during forming, when the initial heat treatments are varied. These results show new ways to use magnesium to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of vehicles. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Can combinatorial models be used to study linear polymers? Dr. Wong used mathematical models to predict the physical behaviour of linear polymers confined in a slit, concluding that the results realistically mimic experimental findings. The methods in this project can be used to study a variety of other problems both within and outside mathematics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ford studied the properties of thousands of galaxy clusters in large astronomical surveys. She developed new techniques for measuring the amount and distribution of dark matter, using the gravitational bending of light rays. This work contributes to our understanding of structure formation in the universe. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Zlatanov completed his studies in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering and focussed on wireless communications. During his research, he developed novel communication protocols for wireless relay networks. These protocols may have applications in next-generation mobile phones and wireless networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Khong characterized a family of agriculturally important viruses called dicistroviruses. Notable members of this family infect shrimps, aphids, and honey bees. Dr. Khong's work sheds light on how these understudied viruses replicate and usurp the host, and evade antiviral defenses. These strategies are conserved across other viral families. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Laliberte explored the influence of socio-economic processes on the mental health of young people. She studied the experiences of thirty youth between fifteen and twenty-eight years of age and from diverse backgrounds, in relation to mental health policy. Her work offers guidance for youth mental health promotion from a socio-economic perspective. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Heng Hartse studied the reactions of English teachers to language useage they perceived as incorrect in student essays. He found that their perceptions of correctness, and their explanations for the evaluations they made, were highly subjective. This work has implications for anyone who works with second language writers and their texts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Han applied analytical and numerical methods of quantum mechanics to solve several controversies in molecular physics. He showed the common mechanisms in the formation of ultracold molecules, and the response of molecules to coherent and incoherent light. His work outlined a consistent, novel route towards laser control of molecular processes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |