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 | NID |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dr. Mudzingwa examined the sound patterns of Karanga and Zezuru, the principal dialects of Shona, a Bantu language of Zimbabwe. He demonstrated how Shona uses several interrelated strategies to achieve structures that are generally preferred in the world's languages: consonant-vowel (CV) syllables and a minimum word length of two syllables. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Tang studied the dynamics of collaboration and interaction with large, interactive, wall displays. Although many applications have been designed for these displays, Dr Tang's work helped to lay the groundwork for an entirely new way of designing these applications with a specific focus on how users transition between different modes of work. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Chen studied transition metal doped systems and the hyperfine coupling constants of muoniated radicals. The studies help the development of new transition metal based materials and enhance the understanding of EPR spectra at the molecular level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (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. Shadeo's work in the genomic evaluation of precancerous lesions of breast and cervix has lead to the identification of aberrant genes and gene networks not previously implicated in cancer progression. These comparative studies revealed that multiple components of a key biological gene network can be altered in disease development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Guo studied the function of a protein, RACK1, in the process by which plants convert the signal of the key stress hormone abscisic acid. He identified RACK1 as a novel link between abscisic acid signalling and protein synthesis. These findings advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanism by which plants respond to environmental stresses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 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 | 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. Ahmad investigated the way risks motivate action in a way that is similar to morality. She argues that risks are more than mere descriptors and are better understood as having normative force. This research provides a new way of understanding the choices we make when faced with new and potentially risky technologies or processes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Liang developed and modified new synthetic methods to prepare bioactive natural products and their derivatives. These included sordarin (a potent antifungal agent), himandrine (a possible cure for a number of human ailments) and lepadiformine (a potent drug for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia). | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Farnden investigated the long term growth of forests as influenced by the abundance and spatial pattern of young trees. He subsequently developed planning tools to help forest managers ensure that reforestation activities effectively contribute to a desired future forest condition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Ge studied the role of synaptic plasticity in spatial memory, and how synaptic plasticity is modulated by AMPA receptor trafficking. Her work provides a better understanding of how different forms of synaptic plasticity contribute to the process of spatial memory formation. | 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. Tomsky examined cultural memory, trauma, and affect in literature that focused on the 1947 partition of India and the 1991 break-up of Yugoslavia. Her findings show how this body of literature initiates an antipartitionist consciousness and attempts a transformation of political communities through the creation of new institutions. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Briseno's work examined the learning experiences of 20 family groups visiting a local science museum in the Mexican socio-cultural context. The outcomes of her study highlight the roles that visitors' socio-cultural identity play in shaping their learning outcomes, and suggest some novel revisions to our current perspectives on family learning in informal settings. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum 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. Cina investigated the role of a certain protein isoform of a family of proteins responsible for communication between neighboring cells in brain development. She showed that the protein is required in directing neuronal migration in the mouse brain. This research has implications for understanding the spectrum of human neuronal migration disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Sevy examined how participation in a memorial exhibit based on photographic images of deceased relatives proved therapeutic for Holocaust survivors and their children. Her research illuminates the role that community-based settings can play as forums in helping those who have undergone psychosocial trauma to deal with their losses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Franklin showed that the genetic structure of a migratory insect, the cabbage looper, has been modified by the expansion of greenhouse production of vegetables in British Columbia. This provides an over-wintering environment for the previously transitory insect and strong genetic selection through the extensive use of a microbial insecticide. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Simpson developed and characterized new analytical instrumentation for the study of atmospheric particles. This work contributes to an improved understanding of certain physical properties of aerosols like size and composition, which can then be related to their role in atmospheric chemistry and global climate. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Moffatt examined the types of difficulties older adults encounter when using pen-based computers such as Tablet PCs. She found three main sources of interaction difficulty and developed seven new techniques to address the difficulties uncovered. This work improves the accessibility of pen-based devices, especially for older adults. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Robertson examined how university field education coordinators address the challenge of assessing the professional suitability of social work students. Her research highlights the critical role field education coordinators play and generated recommendations for improving collaboration between university administrators, social work faculty and field educators. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Kaida investigated the impact of expanding access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on sexual and reproductive health of HIV-affected women in South Africa and Uganda. She showed that women receiving HAART were more likely to use hormonal and barrier contraception, but were no different in their level of sexual activity or intention to conceive. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Hoskinson developed a method to triple the peak brightness, contrast and dynamic range of projection displays. The projector's light is reallocated and directed away from dark regions towards bright regions of the image being displayed by using a custom-designed array of steerable micromirrors and novel image-processing algorithms. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2010 | Dr. Yang's research explored novel methods to speed up the transfer of data inside integrated circuits. Her techniques achieve near-speed-of-light speeds while addressing problems of delay variations and signal degradation. She developed the theory behind these techniques and designed and tested a real chip to demonstrate them. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |