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. Therrien developed new models of electrical machines for the simulation of electromagnetic transients in power systems. The proposed models were shown to significantly increase simulation speed. These findings expedited the massive computer studies necessary to operate electrical power systems in a safe, secure, and optimal way. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Tayarani completed his doctoral studies in the field of Computer Science. His research focused on design principles for building large-scale software systems. He worked on simplifying applications which operate using numerous computers, and he built a framework which helps developers to deal with distributed system artifacts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Kendrick examined the role of relationships in sexual assault disclosures. She found that survivor relationships with peers to whom they described their assaults shaped the responses survivors received. By further understanding responses to disclosures, this research provides insight into how to improve support to sexual assault survivors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Wilbur explored the understandings that teachers of English as an Additional Language bring to teaching students whom they believe have experienced trauma. Her project described the ways instructors create inclusive classrooms. She concluded that for programs to be responsive to the whole student there needs to be a shift in policy and practice. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2015 | The marine gas dimethyl sulfide plays a role in natural climate regulation by bridging the atmospheric and oceanic sulfur cycles. Dr. Asher developed new methods to measure the variability and production of this gas across time and space. Her work advances our understanding of the marine sulfur cycle and informs climate change research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2015 | Actions of sex steroid hormones in humans are regulated by a transporter protein in the blood. Dr. Wu's research revealed how genetic variations alter production and functions of this protein. In the era of personalized medicine, his research may improve current counselling, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of endocrine or metabolic disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Radel designed and tested a new way to redirect beams of light. In particular, this method for directing a light beam uses electronics and does not require mechanical moving parts. This discovery has many applications, including telecommunications, where it can be used in fiber-optic networks to reduce the cost of sending and receiving information. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Stewart investigated how the culture of Indigenous architects informs their designs. This is the first known research to privilege the use of Indigenous Knowledge by Indigenous architects. Results of this research will inform the future education of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in architecture and their practice within the profession. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2015 | With the help of a laser instrument, Dr. Shen studied the collagen molecule, an important type of protein in the human body. He found a close connection between the structure of collagen and some of its optic characteristics. These studies provide a better understanding of changes in collagen, which may lead to early diagnosis of cancer cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Boshmaf performed a security analysis of automated fake accounts in social networks such as Facebook. His research characterized the threats posed by such deceptive accounts and provided the design of a system to efficiently and effectively defend against them. This system is currently deployed by social networks to protect millions of users. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ryz studied the ways in which vitamin D affects the gut during colitis. Her novel research showed that high levels of vitamin D can negatively affect the intestinal immune system, increasing the risk of infection by dangerous gut bacteria. Her findings may help patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, who are at high risk of bacterial infection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Babaie studied the drying mechanism of polymer solution films used in 3D printers. Using advanced experimentation, he developed a mathematical model to explain the complex behavior of polymer solution droplets while drying. His work advances printing technology and the cost-effective fabrication of microstructures such as microneedles. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Asboth studied distant dust-obscured, star-forming galaxies. She analyzed large area sky surveys, observed at far-infrared wavelengths. Her results suggest that dusty galaxies played a more significant role in the stellar mass buildup in the early Universe than current galaxy evolution models predict. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2015 | Salmon migrations in the ocean are extremely challenging events. Dr. Drenner's research showed these migrations are influenced by environmental conditions and fish physiological state. These results further our understanding of the marine migration of salmon and will aid in their management and conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Geddes studied the fungal cause of life-threatening meningitis in HIV/AIDS patients. Her research provided a better understanding of the disease process and identified new therapeutic options, including a novel drug with excellent potential for combating infection. Her research will significantly benefit both the research and medical communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Grounded at the Coast Salish village of Xway' Xw@y' in Stanley Park, Dr. Couture's research demonstrates how theatrical, cultural and tourist performances are used for cultural continuation and historiography. Ways of thinking embedded in the h@n'q'@m'in@m language and place names gave access to Indigenous histories obscured by the colonial archive. | Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Baer focused on how wards of the state are portrayed in German literature from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Her research advances our understanding of the international history of foster care, and of how literature, their translations and literary studies contribute to society's understanding and perception of that history and of those in care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Germanic Studies (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Shi studied the mechanisms contributing to virus-induced heart diseases. She investigate autophagy, a protein degradation pathway, and the critical role it plays in viral infection. Her research findings will aid in the development of novel anti-viral therapies, and contribute to improvements in the prognosis for viral-induced heart diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Fast completed her doctoral studies in Art History and Theory. She focussed on art and artists in India during the late colonial period, from the 1920s to the 1940s. Her research showed how professional artists used print and printmaking media, to carve out new spaces of economic and social opportunity for themselves during this period. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. MacDonald completed her doctoral program in the field of Experimental Medicine. She developed a new therapy to prevent transplant rejection by genetically modifying the immune system to protect transplanted tissue. This research could allow wait-listed patients to receive transplants sooner and reduce their need for immunosuppressive drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Social networks have grown dramatically, Facebook has over a billion users and 150 billion friendship connections. It is expensive to analyze such large networks, e.g., to aid marketing by identifying influential users. Dr. Gharaibeh designed and developed low-cost, yet powerful parallel computing framework for analysing such large-scale networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | People in conversation tend to adopt each other's speech patterns. Dr. Abel explored whether working on a difficult task would affect that tendency, and found that partners building a more difficult Lego construction showed less convergence than those building an easier one. This research gives insight into the mechanisms behind speech convergence. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Have you ever tried to do so many things at once that you couldn't get anything done? Dr. Rogers' research into designing computer hardware demonstrates that computer processors suffer from a similar problem. His work on scheduling mechanisms to reuse data in computers improves the speed and energy usage of both smartphones and large scale data centres. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | The safety of wood structures relies on the strength of the lumber products used in the construction. Dr. Cai developed statistical models for the relationships between lumber strength properties. Her methods enable strength prediction, and can be used to reduce monitoring costs for the lumber industry, while ensuring product quality. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Liu completed his studies in Chemistry. He conducted research on DNAzymes using modified deoxyribonucleotide. He selected DNAzymes that have high activities and can be potentially used in cancer or antiviral treatment. This research improved the functionality of DNAzymes and provided potential candidates for cancer or antiviral treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |