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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dr. Vasuta examined how the function of a major receptor in the brain is regulated. This receptor mediates excitation in the nervous system, and is linked to learning and memory formation. She proved that exercise influences synaptic phenomena that may be the basis of memory acquisition and consolidation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Dauphinee studied the innate immune response to bacterial infection. Her research described the function of a novel protein important in regulating the cellular events that control inflammation. Her work will ultimately assist in developing therapeutics that can be used to decrease the severity of the inflammatory response during infection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Danon-Schaffer explored how brominated flame retardants reach the environment, transfer from waste streams to water and soil, and transport to distant locations (Northern Canada), focusing on landfills which receive products containing these compounds. Simultaneously she developed simulations that indicated that these contaminants persist for decades. This has clear policy implications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Howard examined how women at high risk for hereditary cancer make risk management decisions. She drew attention to the diverse trajectories of decision making and highlighted the role of personal and social contexts in shaping decisions. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the provision of decision support. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Mohan examined the influence of K-12 schooling experiences on the racial and ethnic identity development of multiethnic students. She found that the formal aspects of schooling shape all students' racial and ethnic understandings, which, in turn, within the schooling context, most directly influence multiethnic students' experiences and identities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Zeisser investigated the substantive aspect of construct validity in Canadian school tobacco policy ratings. Using cognitive process models, her findings enhanced understanding of policy score meaning via the process of expert rater responding. Results made novel contributions to assessment and tobacco policy research. Her research has implications for future policy development and tobacco-related harm reduction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Tekleyohannes developed artificial neural networks and four physical models that use chemical and structural attributes for the prediction of water vapour uptake, loss and retention by wood. His models contribute to the creation of a decision support system that allows predicting wood properties and processing characteristics based on chemical and structural attributes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Takahashi examined how known genetic changes affect the function of a human enzyme that is responsible for deactivating androgen steroids. The findings of these studies are being used as a basis to investigate the links between genetics, the concentrations of androgen steroids, and a man's risk for developing prostate cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Chan studied honey bees and their ability to fight a highly contagious bacterial disease. She discovered that young bees lacked key proteins, which resulted in high susceptibility to infection. This research was the first detailed look into the molecular biology of the developing bee immune system. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Castro researched and designed an adaptive art curriculum with teens and teachers online. He found that there are particular dynamics of social and collective learning, identity construction and performance, and teacher identity through new and social media that have significant implications for education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2010 | One out of every five deaths in Canada is caused by heart attacks. Dr. Riazy studied the molecular mechanisms by which the bad cholesterol and its oxidized form contribute to this process. His results can be used to identify prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for heart attacks and other chronic inflammatory diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Karunakaran-Datt studied the oxidation processes at the sulfur atom of the amino acids cysteine and methionine in biological systems. Her research has provided new insights into the reactivity of these amino acids and their involvement in age-related diseases such as senile cataract formation and Alzheimer's disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Froese examined the socially constructed strategies of consensus employed by the Federation of Independent School Associations of British Columbia to determine how this diverse group has consistently reached agreement on issues of policy and political action in support of independent schools in British Columbia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Jilkine studied how animal cells are able to initiate movement. She developed and analyzed a mathematical model of how cells develop a "front" and "rear" in response to their external environment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Mackay studied whether there are gender differences in symptoms of heart attacks. She found that although women report more throat and neck discomfort, they report chest discomfort as frequently as do men. These findings will inform both patients and health professionals about women's symptoms of heart attack. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Sackey studied the strength properties of contemporary particleboard panels used for ready-to-assemble furniture components. He subsequently developed a novel particle mixture that increased the core bonding strength while reducing panel density to create a lighter, stronger panel. His results have the potential of reducing production cost for the particleboard industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Padmavathiamma developed a cost effective and environmentally friendly technology to limit the dispersal of metal contaminants from highway traffic in the soil to the surrounding natural environment. The best management practices (BMP) developed from the study have direct applicability to the environment of BC as a risk management activity, reducing long-term associated risks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. De Rybel developed a new method for computing transmission-line matrix simulations. These computations are used in many fields to study, for example, acoustic, electro-magnetic, and thermal propagation and diffusion problems. The new method allows for significant computational speed gains while maintaining accuracy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Doucette examined the intersection of democratization and economic reform in South Korea. He revised existing research to show how political conflicts informed the democratic transition, but also hindered the creation of more participatory and egalitarian economic policies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Foley studied how socioeconomic status affects educational attainment among Canadian youth. She found that the value parents place on education is an important channel through which socioeconomic status operates. She also demonstrated that skilled but socioeconomically disadvantaged youth attend university more often if they live in highly educated neighbourhoods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Mirfakhrai showed that twisted yarns of carbon nanotubes contract and expand like natural muscle when electrically stimulated. Through extensive experiments, he showed that these novel artificial muscles generate 800 times the force per cross-sectional area that natural skeletal muscle can produce. Applications range from medical prostheses to robotics and toys. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Richer studied how certain viral infections can cause autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. His work identified a subset of cells that is important for both the immune response to viral infection and the development of autoimmunity. He further demonstrated that these cells can be manipulated into actively inducing protective mechanisms that prevent onset of type 1 diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Jafarpour characterized the X4 protein of tomato ringspot virus and analysed its variability among virus isolates. She provided preliminary evidence that X4 is an unstable protein and that it may have a role in supressing plant defence mechanisms. This research provides new into the role of this unique protein in the virus replication cycle. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Nie investigated protein-protein interactions of the major regulatory proteins, IE0 and IE1, of the baculovirus AcMNPV. She identified a domain required for binding viral proteins that were shown to play a critical role in the production of virus particles by enabling the rapid start of viral gene expression. | Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Darbandi developed a new technique in the field of computer vision to describe and recognize three-dimensional objects with high accuracy. The proposed technique has interesting geometric properties, and its effectiveness is primarily due to its descriptive power and the size of the descriptors it creates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |