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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dr. Islam investigated the practical application of a two-dimensional mathematical model for gravel budget preparation for the Lower Fraser River, B.C. His work demonstrates how a model can be applied as a useful tool for future morphological change detection after gravel removal from the river as a flood control measure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Ting investigated contribution of UGT and ABCC2 genetics to mycophenolic acid pharmacokinetics and clinical outcomes in thoracic transplant recipients. She showed that UGT2B7 is a promising gene that influences mycophenolic acid pharmacokinetics, and may be incorporated in developing a dosing algorithm for mycophenolic acid in the future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr Hommersen studied two common childhood disorders, Separation Anxiety and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, examining why these disorders are perceived to co-occur more often than expected. His work showed the effects of context-lacking questionnaire items and negative halo bias in increasing parent report of the co-occurrence of these disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Hon studied the interfaces between calcium metal and various semiconducting plastics that are used in electronic devices in place of common inorganic semiconductors like silicon. These studies yielded information about the chemistry involved, which is important for making efficient devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Archambault explored graph visualization techniques in which a user can decide which parts of a graph are drawn. Graphs are diagrams which help communicate the relationships between concepts or things. The techniques developed in this work may help researchers find higher-level patterns in graphs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Moffatt examined how parents, teachers and a teacher-librarian-researcher constructed 'reading', the category 'readers' and social in/equality in the context of "research interviews for a study on literacy". She found that she and the participants produced equal and unequal social relations and values through their talk of reading and readers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Seipp's research investigates how mothers develop preferences for the treatment of childhood ADHD. Her research provides an important foundation for understanding how parents make decisions regarding the treatment of their children's mental-health problems and will help improve communication between families and health-care professionals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Bonikowska studied the integration of immigrants and their children in Canada. She foundthat ethnic enclaves and ethnic friendships have offsetting impacts on the economic outcomes of immigrants, and showed that immigrant children are better educated because the family invests in their education and not the parents' human capital after arrival. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Lo explored the mechanism of emission of nitrous oxide from wastewater biological nutrient removal processes. He proposed strategies for reducing the emission of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas contributing significantly to global warming, by controlling aeration rate, feeding pattern and pH and by using hybrid systems in wastewater plants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Heran evaluated the blood pressure lowering of two drug classes widely prescribed for hypertension. He found the classes lower blood pressure similarly and at low doses. He argues that, since the drugs and classes do not differ in their effect, the choice should be based on cost. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr Cheang developed a clinically practical panel of six biomarkers that classifies breast cancer patients into genetically distinct types. This assay is now being applied onto clinical trials to predict patient response to chemotherapy, and parts of her work have already been adapted for hospital testing both locally and worldwide. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Mohsenian presented several simple, robust, and optimal resource management schemes for wireless access networks. Different from most of the previous heuristic design schemes in the literature, the algorithms in this thesis are designed within the unified analytical framework of network utility maximization, a concept borrowed from microeconomics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr.Huang found the first enzyme that regulates an important acylation process called palmitoylation in mammals. She then examined how this enzyme controls the trafficking and folding of huntingtin, the protein that is mutated in Huntington disease. Her finding illuminates a novel mechanism that contributes to the pathogenesis of Huntington disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Bungay explored the health problems and health management strategies of women who are street-involved and use crack cocaine. She found that women were active in managing their health but their options were limited due to extreme poverty, violence, and the discriminatory interactions they experienced within the health care system. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Bombard examined the nature and extent of genetic discrimination faced by Canadians at risk for Huntington disease. She found that genetic discrimination is frequent among Canadians and results in high levels of distress. This research provides direction to clinicians and informs policy supporting individuals at risk for genetic diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Tan has made significant breakthroughs in the field of blood stem-cell research. She identified Podocalyxin as a key cell-surface protein which plays a major role in stem-cell migration - a process which is required for successful bone marrow transplants. This discovery may lead to better lives for cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Bishop showed that susceptibility to Salmonella infections, which kill over 500,000 people each year, is controlled partly by SHIP, an immune cell regulatory enzyme. Her work highlights the potential for immune cell regulators to be targeted by therapies designed to combat infectious diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Eisenberg formulated a new class of computer program editors that give programs control over their own presentation. He showed how these kinds of editors can lead to more expressive programs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Graves studied how normal and cancerous cells in the breast are organized. She showed that high levels of the molecule podocalyxin, which correlates with poor outcome in cancer patients, alters breast tumor cell shape, and aids their growth and motility. Thus, podocalyxin may act at a critical stage when breast tumors become metastatic. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Martin studied the activation mechanism of the hepatitis C virus enzyme, non-structural 3 protease. Her work identified crucial parts of the protease that can now be targeted for anti-hepatitis C drug development. During this work, she invented a new cell-based technique for studying proteases that can be applied to other fields of research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Liu investigated some unconventional forms of synaptic plasticity that are critical for our memory formation and other brain functions. These studies will provide guidance to some therapeutic solutions for memory-related neurological disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Gilbert explored mechanisms that allow species to coexist, or conversely, that drive some species extinct. Understanding these mechanisms is important for preserving biodiversity. He tested these theories using mathematical and computer models, and field-tested them in ecosystems in northern Canada and Costa Rica. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Khabbazian designed and developed new reliable protocols for wireless ad hoc networks, the main communication option in scenarios where having a communication infrastructure is not practical or the existing infrastructure has been destroyed by for example a natural disaster such as earthquake or hurricane. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr Park's research focused on the role of estrogen in ovarian cancer progression. He concluded that estrogen can promote ovarian tumor metastasis and may therefore increase the cancer risk. This study provides a better understanding of the etiology of ovarian cancer and helps establishing therapeutic and prevention strategies against the disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Harrison identified practices that protect mental health therapists in their challenging work with traumatized clients. His research illuminates how supervision, self-care, spirituality, and social support mitigate risks of burnout and vicarious traumatization, that otherwise threaten the personal and professional wellbeing of therapists. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |