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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Reipas helped to verify that a protein called RSK is essential to the survival of triple-negative breast cancer, a subtype that is notoriously difficult to treat. Inhibiting RSK eliminates cancer cells and shows promise for developing new therapies. This finding holds potential to improve the outcome of patients with triple negative breast cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Human examined why the personalities of some individuals are more accurately perceived in first impression situations. She found that well-adjusted individuals are seen more accurately because they behave more in line with their unique personality traits. This research sheds light on the factors that enable us to better understand others. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Atwood showed how the loss of top predators from freshwater ecosystems influences the magnitude of carbon dioxide emissions from freshwaters. This research greatly expands our knowledge and understanding of how species loss may ultimately influence greenhouse gas dynamics and climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Isenberg's work explains how we can have real beliefs and emotions about fictional characters and situations when we know that they do not exist and did not occur. She developed a framework for characterizing these responses that will provide guidance for future work in the semantics of fiction and the philosophy of film. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Noroozi conducted doctoral research in the field of Chemical and Biological Engineering. He studied the processing, thermal and other behaviours of bio-degradable polymers. This research shows the promising potential of bio-degradables to be substitutes for conventional plastics in many industries. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Wiegand studied the genetic origins of ovarian cancers linked to endometriosis. Her work revealed a new tumour suppressor gene in ovarian cancer, which has substantially improved the understanding of this disease. Her work could lead to improvements in the management of ovarian and other cancer types. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Weegar studied Appreciative Leadership in BC colleges. Appreciative Leadership is a strength-based approach to leadership which focuses on seeing possibilities and opportunities. Appreciative Leadership in education can help address the leadership "skills shortages" and the challenges facing BC colleges in the twenty-first century. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Vahedi's research focused on RFIDs, or Radio frequency identification Systems. RFID technology is widely used in such automated systems as building FOBS, highway toll booths and credit card chips. Dr. Vahedi's work at the forefront of today's automation technology will contribute to improving the efficiency, security and privacy of RFID systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Rezaei studied the performance of recycled catalysts for slurry-phase bitumen and residue-oil upgrading. He identified and proposed a conceptual model for the loss of catalyst activity in heavy-oil upgrading. His findings assist commercial development of slurry-phase bitumen upgraders that add value to Canada's vast oilsand reserves. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. L'Abbé studied ways in which Ronald Johnson, an American avant-garde poet, used botanical metaphors to represent the human mind and language. She argues that Johnson's poetry revives the horticultural metaphors in words such as cultivation and culture and shows how plant metaphors apply to the study of cognition, perception and poetic vision. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Heumann's research was in the field of number theory. Using mechanisms known as modular symbols, he constructed a framework that helps study special values of L-functions, which is a key concept in number theory. His thesis finished the solution to a problem that number theorists have been working on since the 1980s. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Bourdin studied the way in which water flow into hydroelectric reservoirs is predicted by different forecast models. She showed that better flow forecasts are obtained through model combination. The economic risk in hydroelectric resource management can be reduced by combining many diverse models, which translates into more affordable electricity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Abbott's research focused on contemporary policy issues in education and housing economics. Findings improve our understanding of the complex roles of financial barriers in common household decisions, such as whether or not to attend college or buy a house. Future academic and public policy work in these areas will benefit from these findings. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Horton explored, through oral history, how and why diverse Indigenous people in North America joined the Baha'i religion during the second half of the twentieth century. Her study argues that becoming Baha'i was also a process of becoming Indigenous. In so doing, it offers fresh perspective on Indigenous identity, conversion, and community. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Bowles studied how simulation eases the transition of paramedics from being students into operational roles. He found that effective simulations focus not just on patient care, but on interaction with other people and factors in the environment. These results have influenced paramedic curriculum and informed policy on paramedic certification. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Arinaitwe studied the interactions between bitumen and waste minerals in Canadian oil sands. He showed that biodegradable polymers control the interactions by binding to waste minerals, thereby promoting the separation of bitumen from that waste. Findings will help the oil sands industry to improve the extraction efficiency of oil. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Viveiros used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to study how muscle cells migrate and organize during embryogenesis. His studies identified a number of well-conserved components involved in regulating these processes, His work may aid further research into mammalian muscle morphogenesis and regeneration. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kozicky studied executive functioning in patients who had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She examined the contributions of brain structural changes, illness progression, and medication to the severity of deficits. This research provides important understanding of the neurobiology and treatment of this severe mental illness. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Edwards conducted research in optimization, the mathematics of solving problems efficiently. He described relationships between certain kinds of problems, and developed methods for splitting these into two simpler parts. This work may help solve problems in areas such as physics, finance, and computation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Xia developed statistical approaches, known as Bayesian methods, for use when it is difficult to identify a unique statistical model based on observed data. She showed that the proposed models provide better statistical inference by acknowledging the issues. The models can be used in statistical modeling in health, insurance and road safety. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Thair studied how the DNA of each individual affects the way in which that person responds to severe infections called septic shock. She has identified two key genes that play a genetic role in the disease, which led to the discovery of the previously unknown function of one of them. This may lead to treatments that increase patient survival. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Low levels of HDL cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Bowden's research found that an enzyme called Lysosomal Acid Lipase is necessary to regulate HDL particle formation and remove the cholesterol from cells in the artery wall. This may lead to therapies that increase HDL and prevent heart disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kim explored ways of listening to and relating to children's perspectives. She has shed light on their links to learning in both theory and practice. She is committed to engagIng in theorizing the idea of children's participation in the early childhood curriculum, and broadening our understanding of children's participation in practice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Jones examined teachers' perceptions of the influence of technology integration on their relationships with students. The study revealed that open access to technology has the potential to alter the traditional roles of teachers and students in the learning process, mitigate power imbalances, and strengthen relational bonds. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Musgrove conducted research in electro-chemical processes. She developed a new method for creating thin films on electrode surfaces and identified their characteristics using fluorescence and atomic-force microscopy. These discoveries may be developed for use in sensors for biological molecules or as model cell membranes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |