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. He studied Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID systems. He proposed "unitary query" which can greatly improve the performance of multiple-input-multiple-output RFID systems. His research contributes to future wireless communication technology, and to applications in transportation and logistics, health care, social media, and surveillance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Butler's research was in the field of Chemical and Biological Engineering. He studied a method of capturing carbon dioxide through the use of a calcium oxide absorbent in combination with hydrogen production from sawdust. This process has the dual benefits of providing a sustainable source hydrogen and reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Chan conducted her doctoral research in genetics and molecular biology. She investigated a novel mechanism by which cells respond to environmental factors by modulating the way they interpret genetic information. Her research highlights the role of genetic mutations in the growth of cancer cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Wong studied local governance reforms which were introduced in China to advance urbanization. She found that the reforms resulted in state building rather than state power decentralization. This refines our understanding of how and why China has maintained rapid urban growth despite land disputes and social tensions in different localities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Buffam developed a method of comparative analysis that tracks the social and legal effects of racism across divergent geopolitical contexts. He used this method to document how racial discourses of criminality shaped the legal regulation of Chicago's African American populations and Vancouver's South Asian populations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Price worked on synthesizing new ligands for use in radioactive drugs. These "ligands" are small molecules with many "arms" that wrap around radioactive metals and deliver them selectively to cancer cells for therapy. These new synthetic ligands are much faster and more efficient and should aid in detection and treatment of many types of cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Baker investigated how international norms regarding the use of force that have typically been associated with land have influenced the behaviour of states towards the sea. He examined contemporary maritime disputes in the Arctic Ocean and South China Sea to contribute to our understanding of the factors that have shaped them. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2014 | A hallmark of diabetes is the loss of insulin producing beta-cells in the pancreas. Dr. Yang discovered and characterized novel factors that promote the survival of beta-cells under conditions found in diabetic patients. Her studies have important implications for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. | 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 | Dr. Kimlicka examined how disease-causing mutations affect the structure and stability of Ryanodine Receptors, calcium channels with primary roles in muscle contraction. This research furthered our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inherited cardiac arrhythmias and skeletal muscle disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Santiago studied international health worker recruitment and migration. He investigated how local, transnational and global policies and the knowledge and expertise of people in Canada and the Philippines affect that migration. This research allows us to rethink how both countries might craft more just global health and immigration policies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (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. Lyons-Thomas studied ways in which Grade 11 students verbalized their thought processes during an assessment of complex thinking. She found that verbalization is a useful tool for educational assessment. This research suggests that verbalization should be used in test design in order to understand how students may interpret assessment tasks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Bakhoda conducted his research in the field of Computer Architecture. He developed a framework to simultaneously increase the performance and reduce the cost of hardware accelerators like graphic processing units. His findings can be employed in a wide range of hardware designs ranging from future smart phones to high performance servers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Rubio Gijon studied crime fiction films produced in Francoist Spain and Peronist Argentina from 1951 to 1955. He argues that by using the crime fiction genre, which helps to maintain the dominant ideology, the films oppose authoritarianism through narrative and formal strategies such as visual elements from film noir or Italian Neorealism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Wickenden completed his research in the field of organic chemistry. His work provides alternative strategies that may be used towards the development of new pharmaceutical compounds. With these improvements, researchers may one day be able to lower the cost of drugs to the public. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Tsukada examined how international students and universities in Japan engaged with internationalization. She found that they constructed imagined international communities that reflected not their local diversity but a neoliberal and Western-centered interpretation of globalization. Dr. Tsukada calls for a critical approach to internationalization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Kazemi developed a microbial fuel cell that can effectively produce electricity from wastewater. She investigated whether the membrane that separates the anode from the cathode in the fuel cell can reduce energy costs. Her findings will be a step towards determining whether microbial fuel cells will reduce the cost of wastewater treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Latifi studied the way structures might respond to an earthquake when they are close to the causative fault. He factored the flexibility of the foundation system into his research. Results of this study help engineers to predict the expected response of various structures which are close to a fault, and might be affected by Near-Fault ground motions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Sun examined the security of two popular social login systems that have been adopted by millions of websites, and social networks such as Facebook. His investigation revealed several critical weaknesses in the design and implementation of these login systems. He proposed and evaluated practical countermeasures to mitigate the uncovered threats. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Xavier prepared "smart" bio-materials from cellulose, a wood derivative. The materials were developed by grafting a temperature responsive polymer from the cellulose derivative. This research has set the grounds for future studies regarding potential applications, which include tissue engineering, drug delivery, filtration membranes and sensors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (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. Gutica studied how emotion influences learning in the context of tutoring systems. She designed an educational game, Heroes of Math Island, for students in Grades 5 to 7, and analyzed the learners' emotional states as they interacted with it. Her findings will benefit researchers and designers in the field of advanced learning technologies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Ang studied abdominal aneurysms at the James Hogg Research Centre. She found that elevated levels of the enzyme Granzyme B contribute to the weakening of the abdominal aorta, and increased susceptibility to rupture and death. Her findings may lead to development of a novel drug strategy for treating aneurysms and other inflammatory diseases | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Van Toen studied neck injuries. She showed that sideways bending of the neck during a head-first impact results in a reduced risk of spinal cord injury and increased risk of an unstable injury to the spinal column, compared with a straight neck injury. This research has implications for injury prevention, such as helmet design, and treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |