Doctoral Citations

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
2014 Dr. Zhou developed a new kind of biomedical ceramic cement: calcium phosphate silicate cement. Its properties are an improvement on existing bio-cements. Biomaterials based on this new cement are currently used in dentistry and can be potentially used in orthopaedics. His research contributed new knowledge and materials to the biomedical community. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Emmel conducted experimental research into the physics of TV and computer displays. He developed a new backlight with higher contrast, which is able to show more realistic images than current state-of-the-art displays. His research is an important step towards more realistic and energy-efficient displays. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2014 Dr. Mohammadigoushki studied the dynamics and flow of bubbles in liquid foam. He investigated how the properties of the foam can be changed by bubble size and distribution. He showed that foam can be purposely manipulated for a wide variety of applications, from helping to recover oil from wells, to producing better cosmetics, soap and shampoo. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Ghadermarzi's research was in the field of number theory. He completely solved two families of a special kind of Diophantine equation called the Thue equations and studied some applications of Thue equations. Thue equations arise in a wide variety of number theoretic contexts including recurrence sequences and integral points on elliptic curves. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2014 Dr. Sparling studied Schwann cells generated from stem cells found in the skin of mammals. He demonstrated that those cells promote repair and functional recovery when transplanted into the spinal cord of an injured rodent. He showed that those cells are a suitable treatment alternative to Schwann cells harvested directly from peripheral nerves. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2014 Dr. Rajagopalan's research focused cloud computing, a pay-per-use hosted computing model for Internet applications. He designed systems to enhance the adaptability of cloud-based applications, enabling them to respond to load changes and infrastructure failures. His work will assist developers to build elastic and fault-tolerant cloud applications Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2014 Dr. Khouj proposed an artificial intelligence system to help disaster managers and responders to make optimal decisions, to save human lives in situations of catastrophic natural or man-made disasters. This system combines human expert knowledge and complex system modelling to understand the interdependencies among critical national infrastructures. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Ellis studied how cells interact with their environment to form tissues and organs during animal development. Her work characterized molecular mechanisms that ensure each cell is in the right place at the right time. Her findings have implications for our understanding of how tissues form, and how these processes may be altered during disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2014 Dr. Telpoukhovskaia's research was in the field of medicinal inorganic chemistry. She worked on design and synthesis of novel compounds that are able to interact with biologically active copper, iron, and zinc. Furthermore, she tested these compounds in a biological setting to elucidate their potential activity in Alzheimer's disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2014 Dr. Choy developed a new technique for separating complex mixtures of proteins. This mode of liquid chroma-tography, known as iso-electric chromato-focusing, is useful to research scientists and the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Choy's work will help improve disease diagnostics and purify life-saving therapeutics more safely and economically. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Mirjafari studied passive bioreactors for treatment of mine drainage. She found that composition of organic mixtures can affect the longevity of the bioreactors, and the type and abundance of microbes present in them. Her findings can assist in improving the design of bioreactors and increase our understanding of their mechanism of treatment. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Lee-Yaw studied geographic range limits and the processes influencing them in a widespread salamander species. Her work clarifies the relative importance of climate versus species interactions in shaping range limits. She illustrates a general framework for testing alternative hypotheses for range limits. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2014 Dr. Wu examined how the Chinese Communist Party's national leaders imposed discipline over local members in eastern Shandong from 1928 to 1948. He found that they did this through systematic organizational control, ideological education and class struggle. This research is valuable in understanding the party's rise to power and its legacy on China. Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
2014 Dr. Simmons studied bulk-tonnage, low grade copper bearing rocks in southern Peru. This work resulted in the identification of magmatic controls on copper concentrations in the Earth's upper crust. The conclusions of this research contrast productive and non-productive copper bearing rocks and aid in the global search for additional copper resources. Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)
2014 Dr. Polanco studied Filipino migrant workers at Canadian Tim Horton`s restaurants. She traced the cultural and structural dimensions of work and labour market regulation under migrant worker schemes. One implication is Canada's introduction of a new guest worker scheme that is both ambiguous and risky with regard to transitioning to permanent status. Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD)
2014 Dr. Kaushal studied how the law treats group difference. She used the concept of jurisdiction to illuminate the work that law does to separate and contain groups. This research reveals the legal landscape of diversity and furthers the study of accommodating diversity in contemporary societies. Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)
2014 Dr. Nguyen studied newborns whose mothers had taken the anti-depression drug, Fluoxetine, during pregnancy. She found that the problems these babies experienced were due to alterations in fetal brain development, rather than the toxicity of the drug. This research provides information about the effects of depression medication taken during pregnancy. Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD)
2014 Dr. Belcher authored an historical and theoretical analysis of US and Canadian counter-insurgency warfare in Afghanistan. He showed how forms of knowledge embedded within counter-insurgency doctrine enabled particular modes of violence to take place in Afghanistan, such as empowering corrupt police forces, razing villages and displacing populations. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2014 Dr. Cetinbas completed her doctoral studies in the field of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. She examined how cancer cells use certain nutrients for protection against oxidative stress. These studies identified novel strategies for effective elimination of cancer cells. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2014 Dr. Bazargan studied the behavior of drops of liquid as they evaporate. He developed a new method that allows the investigation of droplets with different footprint shapes, including droplets in a line. This technique will be beneficial for applications such as ink-jet and bio-printing. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2014 Dr. Wang examined how the function of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase is regulated in the heart. She found that this enzyme is controlled by multiple factors, and diabetes disrupts the proper functioning of this enzyme. This research is expected to assist in the development of therapeutic targets that prevent diabetic heart disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2014 Dr. Wierzbicki studied architectural elements that can respond to the changing needs of building occupants. These kinetic elements have the potential to improve a building's ecological and functional performance. Her approach to designing kinetic structures addresses the expectations of urbanized societies and the need for more efficient buildings. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD)
2014 Dr. Shin uncovered a new mechanism of lipid-mediated signal transduction where certain signaling lipids are capable of sensing changes in intracellular pH. These findings increase our fundamental understanding of how cells regulate their many cellular processes. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2014 Dr. Ye studied viral infections in the heart. He uncovered important signals exploited by viruses to damage the heart tissue, and identified the mechanisms that contribute to heart dysfunction. His findings will promote the development of novel anti-viral medicines to treat infectious heart diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2014 The Northwest Coast bentwood box acted as a metaphor to frame this study. Dr. Parent examined four Aboriginal Early University Promotion Initiatives and three Aboriginal University Transition Programs at universities in British Columbia. Her findings will help us understand how universities can be wholistically transformed for Indigenous learners. Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)

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