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. Churchland studied the effect of forest harvesting on Pacific Northwest soil microbes. She found that retaining individual trees in harvested sites best maintains the structure and functions of soil microbial communities. Application of these findings will result in tree-harvesting methods that maintain soil nutrients and microbial biodiversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Al-Bannay focused on the health of women in Saudi Arabia, with special reference to type 2 diabetes mellitus. She studied the health beliefs and behaviours of the women, and the outcomes of a pilot diabetes education program. Findings show that Saudi women experience lifestyle-related conditions and could benefit from the education program. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Cheng demonstrated a novel immunization strategy using a rub-on drug rather than an injection to enhance vaccine effectiveness. The drug mimics bacterial DNA, augments immune responses in the skin and provides long-lasting protection against infection. Her findings point to ways to improve vaccine responses to common infections like influenza. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kalcsits developed and tested a model describing how nitrogen movement in plants influences nitrogen isotope composition. He applied it to identify genetic variation in nitrogen use in balsam poplar. This research provides a new way to measure plant nitrogen-use traits, which are often technically challenging to measure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Tomlinson developed experimental apparatus to investigate magnesium alloys. He studied the behaviour of those alloys as well as their shifting atomic structure. The results of the research will contribute to the increased use of lightweight magnesium alloys in the auto sector, to improve fuel economy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Sarraf conducted research in the field of micro-accelerometers, which are used to measure acceleration in a single or multiple directions. He developed and implemented novel techniques to increase their sensitivity, accuracy and resolution, making them suitable for applications such as non-invasive surgery, navigation or oil and gas exploration. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Muja researched efficient methods of indexing and searching large collections of data. He discovered ways of improving the efficiency of searches by using "approximate nearest neighbour" algorithms. The results of this work have been released as an open source library that is already being used by a large number of research groups around the world. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Donohue identified an approved drug, verteporfin, as a chemical inhibitor of autophagy, a process that protects cancer cells against stress. Verteporfin was shown to counter autophagy and was characterized as a potential anticancer therapy. This study supports autophagy inhibition as a strategy to improve current cancer therapies | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Weisser's research focused on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She examined the impact of immune cells, called macrophages, on disease severity. She found that converting inflammatory "killer" macrophages to healing cells offers promising new treatment options for patients suffering from intestinal inflammation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Watson studied letter-colour synaesthesia, an unusual trait where each letter is associated with a particular colour. He showed that many of these associations are acquired in childhood, and that they can be useful for learning. These findings will help us understand the development of such unusual traits, but also of more typical associations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Majewski studied the fundamental charge transfer processes that are involved in the conversion of visible light to usable energy within artificial photosynthetic assemblies. These assemblies, prepared and designed by Dr. Majewski, mimic the photosynthetic process Nature has perfected and offer insight into a form of solar energy conversion. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. An investigated state-of-the-art CT scanning technologies for sorting and grading logs in a sawmill. He developed a coarse-resolution CT scanning system which gained attention in academia and among industry partners. If successfully applied, Dr. An's work will help boost profits in the sawmill industry and add value to the forest products industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Yoon conducted a study of school choice in Vancouver. Her findings suggest that those who choose and get selected into popular alternative public schools benefit from an enriched learning environment. However, those schools generate a new hierarchy in the public education system that contributes to maintaining educational and social inequality. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Torres studied the assimilation problems of immigrants to Canada. He focused on the origin of human capital and how it related to the immigrant-native wage gap. He discovered that much of the wage gap is due to the inability of immigrants to transfer their human capital. This information will be useful in future strategic planning for immigrants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Uban demonstrated neuro-biological alterations in central dopamine-stress interactions following prenatal alcohol exposure. These novel neurobiological findings help explain the increased prevalence of substance use disorders observed among individuals with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Poon studied a set of immune cells called macrophages and their role during lung inflammation. She discovered that the binding of macrophages to hyaluronan, a common carbohydrate, is required for their proliferation and retention in the lung. Her work provides insight that will further the development of treatment for respiratory diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Hwang studied ethno-racial variations in two facets of cohesion in Canada: trust in others and trust in political institutions. She explored why trust among ethno-racial communities may differ from established cultural groups. The amount of trust can differ substantially, depending on which group is asked the question and the type of trust. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Chao studied cell biology in budding yeast. His research discovered how the cell orchestrates the events in cell division by restricting the diffusion of membrane proteins between the mother and daughter cells. His research contributes to understanding the spatial regulation of proteins and their diverse activities in eukaryotic cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Sandstrom studied how relationships with acquaintances, or weak social ties, are associated with well-being. People are happier on days when they interact with more weak ties than they usually do. This research suggests that minimal social interactions, like the ones with your usual coffee barista, might provide a hidden source of happiness. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Li studied how to manage interference and reduce power consumption in wireless networks by using fiber-connected antennas. To improve the data rate in WiFi and 4G networks, he devised novel schemes that transmit data to multiple users, while reducing power consumption. His work is helping to reduce radiation and tackle the global energy crisis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Gao studied the causes of cash hoarding within U.S. firms. She linked the cash rise to inventory reduction, and analyzed whether Just-in-Time inventory systems explain the rise in cash balances. She found that replacing inventory with cash can account for over half of the cash increase observed, so concerns over mounting corporate cash are exaggerated. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kniazeva studied links between oil rents and political systems in petro-states such as Russia and Venezuela. She found that in times of prosperity, the state provides social welfare, but when oil prices drop the social contract disintegrates. Her compelling argument is that oil rent fluctuations lead to regime fluctuations in oil-rich states. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Rashtian's research focused on improving the performance of radio-frequency integrated circuits in the front-end of wireless communication systems, using an inexpensive and simple biasing technique. The results of his research can be used to increase the dynamic range and to decrease the power consumption in wireless communication devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Janouskovec studied why some parasites, such as malaria, contain a chloroplast, which is responsible for harvesting light energy in plants. He showed that relatives of these parasites are abundant in nature and many of them also contain chloroplasts. These results confirm that, like plants, malaria evolved from an organism that harvested light. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Dadson investigated the process of recovery for men who have been psychologically injured in their relationships with their fathers. The results show those men experience a convergence of trauma. The patterns of recovery provide counselling psychologists with the critical components of treatment and recovery for men who experience this injury. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |