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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dr. MacIvor studied BC Aboriginal post-secondary education policies. She examined ways in which policies were influenced by changing political, economic and social circumstances from 1986 to 2011. Her work highlights the influence of Aboriginal Affairs, the privileging of First Nations and the importance of relationships, leadership and ownership. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2012 | Dr. FitzJohn has developed statistical methods to ask why there are more species in some groups of mammals than in others. Common explanations for this unevenness in biodiversity centre on the traits of the species concerned. His methods allow us to rigorously test long-standing hypotheses for differences in speciation and extinction rates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Chaskes argued that the fiction of American, postmodern author Donald Barthelme is a critique of the violence and political corruption of the late twentieth century. Barthelme's writings have often been deemed trivial, but Dr. Chaskes finds that Barthelme belongs to a tradition of radical writing that offers ways of understanding one's world | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Floyd studied what happens when rain falls on snow in recently harvested and regenerating forests on Northern Vancouver Island. He compared these rain-on-snow events using a sophisticated model and a new method he developed to observe snow melt. Results from his research are being used to help minimize the effects of forest harvesting on floods and landslides. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Mistry examined gene expression patterns in the postmortem human brain. Using statistical methods, she looked at which genes are turned on and off in healthy brains compared to the brains of people with schizophrenia. Her findings contribute to our knowledge of gene function in the brain and offers insight into the underlying cause of schizophrenia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Nosen's investigated whether the way people think about nicotine cravings affects smoking cessation experiences. She found that people who accept cravings as a natural part of quitting smoking experienced less distress and fewer cravings during cessation. This research supports mindfulness-based approaches to treating addiction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Koo studied solutions to equations which model physical processes. Using analytic techniques, she proved results regarding the long-term behaviour of these solutions. These results can be applied to further our understanding of areas such as nonlinear optics, condensed matter physics and ferromagnetism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Haggan demonstrated a broad-based demand for the immeasurable values of love, cherishing and protecting, in our relationship with the sea. A concept of the secular sacred can ensure that basic human values of gratitude, generosity and renewal are as well-represented as science and economics in dialogue about farmed salmon and the Enbridge pipeline. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2012 | Topological insulators are materials which are insulating in the core but not on the surface. Dr. Rosenberg studied four exotic effects in three dimensional topological insulators. These materials were recently discovered and have been shown to be a new phase of matter. This research advances our basic understanding of this new class of materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wallace explored the expansion of community dental clinics in British Columbia, and their potential to respond to oral health inequities. He found that the clinics are helping to provide dentistry to underserved populations. However, the services are limited, and Dr. Wallace recommends government policy that integrates dentistry within health equity agendas. | Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Zlotorzynska studied the chemical behavior of oxygen and nitrogen radical atoms. She devised novel strategies to harness their high reactivity for use in selective carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bond forming reactions. This research led to the development of new chemical methods applicable to pharmacologically active compounds. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Jeffries studied the effects of high water temperature and rapid aging on wild adult Pacific salmon, at a genome-wide scale. This research was the first to characterize the cellular changes involved in mortality in wild fish. The study has enhanced our understanding of the effects of future climate warming on Pacific salmon. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Hodge studied how magma, or melted rock, moves within underground magma chambers. She developed a technique to use features in solidified magma, or rocks, to understand how the magma moved prior to solidification. Her work explains how new injections of magma interact below volcanoes, affect magma chamber growth, and increase the potential for volcanic eruptions at the Earth's surface. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Perkins interviewed principals and vice-principals about their understanding of, and responses to homophobia. Her human rights, arts-based research resulted in a play titled: "Do We Really Need to Discuss This?" The play aims to generate professional development and leadership opportunities for those seeking to make our public schools more socially just. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Bakhshaii used Gene Expression Programming to improve forecasts of precipitation and speed-up calculation of how atmospheric stability affects thunderstorms. She devised new forecast methods for electric load to enable more efficient operation of electric-power generation. Her innovation has been beneficial for meteorologists, hydrologists, the power industry and the general public. | Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Shaikh conducted research on enzymes which remove the A and B antigens from red blood cells. Her work, in collaboration with research performed at the Blood Research Centre, has generated universal red blood cells. These studies contribute to the understanding of enzymes that are useful for the conversion of A/B/O blood types into universal blood. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Porteus used laboratory studies to investigate the cellular mechanisms used for oxygen-sensing in the Bowfin, an air breathing fish. She determined the role these receptors play in helping the Bowfin survive for extended periods in low oxygen. This research provides insight into the evolution of oxygen sensing in vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Shafiee proposed wireless communications mechanisms and protocols to improve road safety. He developed intelligent systems to reduce traffic congestion. His research is expected to make automobile operation safer and more efficient, and to provide info-tainment which bridges the gaps between automobile, transportation, and communications sectors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Yohanan examined the role of touch in the communication of emotion between humans and social robots. His foundational research provided insights into the manner of expressing emotions through touch, while also demonstrating that this form of interaction can influence the human's emotional state. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Caldwell discovered, first, that fishes that move less are more vulnerable to habitat loss and, second, that European seahorses may be able to cope with, or flee harmful changes. This research sheds light on huge declines in seahorse populations in a Portuguese lagoon and could help with conservation efforts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Steinberg studied the intricate ways in which surfaces can sit inside certain highly curved six-dimensional spaces. He developed a new theory to study the case where the six-dimensional space is not smooth but has singularities. The results of his research shed light on existing conjectures, and have applications to algebraic geometry, as well as to the physics of string theory. . | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Ikebuchi conducted a study of Chinese and Japanese women who were placed in the Chinese Rescue Home in Victoria, BC, between 1886 and 1923 because they were at risk of being forced into prostitution. She found that while the white Methodist women running the Home aimed to domesticate and transform them into Christian wives, mothers and servants, the Home was a space where both white and Asian women pursued their aspirations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. van Poorten estimated changes in growth, abundance and survival, following experimental depletions of wild fish in mixed-species lakes. The models and ideas he developed will help ecologists and fisheries scientists to estimate and understand changes in these vital rates, especially in ecosystems at risk of economic collapse. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Salehi developed computer models for simulating a type of flame which releases chemical energy inside fuel, with minimum production of toxic gases. These models are intended to be used by industry to improve the design of stationary gas turbines and internal combustion engines, especially with respect to the emissions of pollutants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Ly studied the molecular events that lead to Alzheimer's disease. He identified the mechanism by which a protein called GSK3 aids in the production of senile plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. He also demonstrated that suppressing the activity of GSK3 prevented Alzheimer's disease and improved memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |