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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dr. Santos-Neto designed a new method to assess the value of information exchanged in online social systems. The novel method uses information theory to model the users' search tasks and to quantify the ability of one user's shared information to help others. The results can benefit the design of future online social systems and search tools. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Robertson studied the diving behavior of bowhead whales, and how it is affected by oil exploration in the Alaskan Arctic. She demonstrated that the whales' behavioral reactions influence the assessments of bowhead distribution and abundance. Her study will contribute to better management of oil exploration in bowhead habitat. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Stewart wrote five interwoven histories of relations between humans and the rest of nature on BC's Strait of Georgia, between the 1850s and the 1980s. They present a complex but coherent portrait of Canada's most heavily populated coastal zone. He concluded with consideration of interactions among the five narratives in the early 21st century. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Crawford developed new techniques to measure and map emissions and absorption of carbon dioxide in urban neighborhoods. These measurements also revealed dynamic spatial patterns of carbon dioxide in the urban atmosphere. Findings from this work have implications for urban planning, air quality, and sustainable growth. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Stefanowicz studied the effect of the cellular environment on DNA packaging , and how this predisposes people to asthma. Specifically, she looked at how DNA methylation and histone modification affect biological functions such as differentiation. Her research highlights the interaction between epigenetic architecture and disease pathogenesis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Knight explored the ethical implications of routine HIV testing practices among young men in Vancouver. In his research, he described how HIV-related stigma can be influenced by routine testing practices, as well as how young men choose to test for HIV based on relational values such as solidarity and health equity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Kim studied the outcomes when parents read to their 4- and 5- year old children, using four different book formats. She found that types of interactions that promote children's learning and thinking occurred significantly more often in the print and the hand-held electronic book contexts than in two computer-based digital book contexts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Beyme studied mobile robots and wireless communications. His research lead to novel methods which enable mobile robots to perform search and mapping tasks aided by wireless sensors. These methods can be applied in various ways, including environmental exploration and monitoring, detection of hazards, and search and rescue operations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. McKee conducted ethnographic fieldwork among the horse people of Bluegrass Kentucky in order to understand the cultural and historical connections between horse racing, animal slaughter, equine rescue, and prison educational programs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Foulds studied the cardiac and vascular health of Aboriginal adults, and their responses to exercise. She found that the benefits of exercise were different for Aboriginal adults than for Europeans. She showed that the relation of blood pressure to vascular health differs among ethnic groups, with greater dangers of hypertension for Aboriginals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Hui studied the behaviour of pyrimidines, building blocks of DNA and RNA, when grafted onto large and rigid cyclic molecules. He discovered that these attached building blocks spontaneously assembled into well-defined superstructures. This research demonstrates that such motifs might play a larger role in directing overall nucleic acid topology than previously thought. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Van Dongen's research was in the area of atomic, molecular and optical physics, working with ultra-cold trapped atoms. She studied trap loss from a magneto-optical trap due to collisions with non-trapped background gas. Progress was made on a novel pressure standard based on the loss rate of trapped atoms due to background gas collisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Trim explored the history of renewable energy and sustainable development in Canada. He showed that sustainability emerged from a combination of factors: environmentalists' embrace of science to fight the Cold War, Canadian concerns over American neo-colonialism, and the Trudeau government's efforts to rationalize policy making during the 1970s. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Courtot demonstrated that biomedical knowledge can be logically encoded and processed by computers. She developed a knowledge representation model to accurately automate the diagnosis of adverse events following immunization. Her research improves public health by allowing for faster and cheaper detection of safety issues related to vaccination. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Grover examined gender bias in a large-scale, school reading and math test. He found that assumptions about which questions might challenge girls and which might be difficult for boys were not always valid. This research revisits the so-called gender gap and provides insights into which boys do poorly in reading and which girls do poorly in math. | Doctor of Philosophy in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Pearson studied views held by administrators, faculty members and undergraduate students on curriculum integration in a program of study. She found that students had a better understanding of ways in which curriculum elements are integrated across disciplines, and of teaching approaches. Her findings suggest future direction for curriculum reform. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Plasencia studied safety-seeking behaviour in social anxiety and its connection to sense of self, including self-esteem, self-authenticity, and social relatedness. Examining these interrelationships helps us understand how change occurs during psychotherapy and highlights areas for improving treatments for social anxiety disorder. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Denroche studied the hormone Leptin as a treatment to lower blood sugar in a mouse model of Type 1 diabetes. Her work revealed some of the potential benefits and limitations of Leptin as an alternate or adjunct therapy to insulin for Type 1 diabetes. This research helped to uncover the molecular mechanism behind the anti-diabetic actions of Leptin. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Esmailzadeh conducted her research in medical genetics with a focus on cancer genetics and molecular biology. Her research highlights the role of a gene in the development of an aggressive type of lymphoma. The results of this work pave the way to a greater understanding of disease mechanisms and potential new therapeutic options. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Minami studied the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He developed and implemented an action-based psycho-social reconciliation approach, to foster peace between survivors and perpetrators of that genocide living in the same villages. This research will help in developing the world's first evidence-based war prevention and peace building strategy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Woo studied the mechanisms that underlie differences in sexual desire between women of Asian and European ancestry. She found that higher sex guilt among Asian women may explain their lower sexual desire compared to women of European descent. The findings have implications for the treatment of women with high sex guilt and low sexual desire. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. LaSalle studied the history, community and landscape of Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Vancouver. She demonstrated how "nature" in the park is manufactured to forget colonial violence and to feel better about ongoing environmental devastation. Pacific Spirit is thus a site of ideology, ultimately hindering resistance to industrial capitalism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Toews studied the effects and consequences of the interbreeding among birds, specifically species of warblers. Using a range of techniques, data and field research, he demonstrated varied outcomes when distinct bird groups interbreed. Dr. Toews' findings have important implications for our understanding of adaptation and the formation of species. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Elahimehr's research at UBC's Pulp and Paper Centre was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through the support of 11 industrial partners in Canada. Dr. Elahimehr established a new method to optimize the process of mechanical pulping. This new method can save up to 2% of BC's electrical energy consumption. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Nogueira studied aspects of a surprising connection between Quantum Mechanics and Gravity called Holographic Principle, a novel framework that allows for a better understanding of the nature of gravity. The research builds upon what was previously known and furthers our understanding of the behaviour of objects such as Black Holes and Boson Starts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |