Doctoral Citations

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. Wong identified the first natural marine compound that can enhance axon outgrowth in the adult central nervous system. Using motile cells to model the neuronal growth cone, the basic machinery underlying axon outgrowth, she designed a high-throughput screen to identify the first cyclic dipeptide that promoted axon regeneration in vitro, as well as axon sprouting and behavioural improvements in vivo. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2010 Dr. Aviles identified and examined a long-overdue topic in modern Mexican history: the exceptional case of the manufacture of steam engines by a local firm during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This case study of technological translation overturned dominant understandings of mechanization premised upon the idea of the "transfer" of technology into Mexico while making an argument for the centrality of steam engines to modern Mexico. Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
2010 Dr. Senousy numerically and experimentally studied the characteristics of an electromechanically coupled material, namely piezoelectric actuators, to be employed in the next generation of fuel injection systems. His developed models provide an invaluable tool for designing piezoelectric actuators for fuel injectors. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Rahaman developed a mathematical model for a reactor used for phosphorus recovery from wastewater through struvite crystallization, incorporating process kinetics, thermodynamics and reactor hydrodynamics. The model is used for efficient designing of the reactor and the process performance evaluation. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2010 Through functional magnetic resonance imaging, Dr. Zwicker showed that children with developmental coordination disorder use different brain areas from typical children to perform a motor task. Her work is one of the first studies to show that children with this common childhood disorder are neurobiologically different from their peers. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2010 Dr. McTavish examined school and out-of-school contexts in the ways they afforded and constrained opportunities for children to engage in and recontextualize information literacy practices. Offering new knowledge of how school literacy impacts children's out-of-school literacies, Dr. McTavish argues for contexts that support children's information literacy practices for more global use. Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD)
2010 Dr. Vakil studied the three-dimensional flow of water and pulp fibres through forming fabric. The deposition of fibres on the fabric is the essential first stage of papermaking. Papermakers have benefitted from this study as it provides insight that helps guide fabric design improvements. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Sayani studied the schooling experiences of disaffected South Asian male students. His work provides all educators and educational leaders with new ways to understand the schooling experiences of South Asian students and to mitigate the schooling factors that may exacerbate the disaffection of all minoritized students. Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)
2010 Dr. Silverman investigated the deadly protozon parasite Leishmania donovani, identifying novel secreted molecules, discovering a secretion system, and presenting the first description of leishmania exosomes and their immune-suppressing properties. Her work has significantly advanced the current knowledge of leishmania biology, with implications for other protozoan pathogens, and development of new therapeutics and vaccines. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2010 Dr. Croteau showed that the presence of defects on kaolinite particles plays a significant role in water adsorption and possible ice nucleation. These studies allow us to better understand the interactions between clay surfaces and water. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2010 Dr. Kim determined control of cardiomyocyte lipoprotein lipase secretion following diabetes. These studies will assist us in understanding the mechanisms by which excessive lethal fatty acids are delivered to hearts in diabetic patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2010 Dr. Kiang used a variety of experimental models to study liver toxicity associated with valproic acid, a popular anti-epileptic drug. His results help us understand the roles of metabolism, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in valproic acid-induced liver toxicity. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2009 Dr. Tian described a new iron transport pathway that promotes the growth of skin cancer cells. These studies aid in the understanding of the development of cancers and in identifying therapies for overcoming this disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2009 Dr. Cunliffe developed a methodology to study how law, medicine, and social values work together in contested murder trials. In light of recent legal and medical developments, she suggests that one mother may have been wrongly convicted of murdering her children, and demonstrates how this error occurred. Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)
2009 Dr. Rawn investigated whether self-control, a process normally considered virtuous, always leads to positive outcomes for the self. Her work suggests that some people force themselves to risk self-harm and discomfort when they expect to be liked by valued others as a result of taking that risk. Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
2009 Dr. Glaze identified and mechanistically investigated the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of a sugar nucleotide in the bacterial strain responsible for causing Legionnaires' disease. The results of these investigations have provided further understanding of the formation of the lipopolysaccharide in bacterial species. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2009 Dr. Patchell identified and characterized the role of annexin II in airway epithelial cell biology. His results expand our understanding of how the airway epithelium repairs itself and may lead to new approaches for treatment of conditions, such as asthma, where damage to the airway epithelium is present. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2009 Dr. Rempel worked on the development of fluorosugars that could be used to inhibit enzymes that process sugars. He synthesized and tested these compounds to search for useful molecules with the ultimate goal of finding treatments or diagnostics for the rare genetic diseases Gauchers disease and MPS 1. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2009 Dr. Antignano studied immune cell biology at the Terry Fox Laboratory where she identified new molecular mechanisms controlling the development and function of the immune system's dendritic cells. This work has important applications in the understanding of human infectious disease, autoimmune disorders, cancer and clinical treatments such as organ transplantation. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2009 Dr. McKim investigated the genetic regulation of shedding or abscission of lateral organs in plants. She showed that the function of two genes was essential for development of the cellular anatomy necessary for abscission in leaves and flowers, greatly contributing to our understanding of a key life event in plants. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2009 Dr. Hewapathirane created a novel experimental model to study the effects of seizures on brain development. Using this system, he found that early-life seizures inhibit the structural maturation of neuronal cells within the brain. His findings uncovered a potential mechanism through which childhood seizures may induce neurological deficits. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2009 Dr. Li investigated the employment of graphical models for modeling and discovering neural connectivity networks. He developed novel and effective methods to control error rates, extract network features, and handle inter-subject diversity. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2009 Dr. Wolff examined the effects of diversity within the nursing workforce. She found that when people think that their work values are different from those of their colleagues, they are inclined to report more conflict and job stress within their workgroups. Managers need to recognize that work values dissimilarity can affect team functioning. Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
2009 Dr. Deline investigated the political and legal roles of women in criminal trials in the Julio-Claudian era of the Roman Empire. She concluded that women were politically threatening and legally active in ways that show they were much more than merely extensions of their husbands and brothers. Doctor of Philosophy in Classics (PhD)
2009 Dr. Scott studied how some birds can fly over the highest mountains in the world, where oxygen is so scarce that people can barely survive. His research discovered the basis for the impressive feat of these animals, advancing our knowledge of how physiological systems evolve in nature and of the limitations of our own physiology at high altitudes. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

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