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
2023 Translational approaches to restoring autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD)
2023 Dr. Dutta's research focussed on the recovery of Molybdenum and separation of impurity metal ions from acidic molybdenum solutions. She developed different flowsheets evaluating extraction techniques to recover pure molybdenum metal. Her findings contribute to the advancement of existing processes of molybdenum separation in the mining industry. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. Du Toit used Airborne Laser Scanning to model genetically improved Douglas-fir trees. Descriptors were used to assess tree performance, and predict genetic parameters. He found that ALS is capable of describing trees at multiple scales, and should be used in breeding programs due the cost savings and insights the technology provides. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Anokwuru's dissertation examined how narratives of people with disabilities, their families, educators, and policymakers can inform inclusive education in Nigeria. Research findings advance the importance of self-advocacy, collaboration, and aligning change efforts across structures and roles, thereby designing an ecology of inclusive education. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2023 Dr. Zeng introduced a new method of imaging the human liver with 3D ultrasound. The method quantitatively determines liver tissue stiffness in a large 3D volume. This will enable more accurate evaluation of chronic liver disease, in an accessible and inexpensive manner, suitable for the large percentage of the population. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. Bergen examined landscapes and buildings in medieval and Renaissance allegories. These understudied natural and built environments present a paradigm for metaphor that is as important as personification for this literary genre, and stand at the heart of medieval and early modern thought and writing on space, time, memory, and the individual. Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD)
2023 Dr. Huang studied users' perceptions of sharing private information via several technologies, such as smart speakers. Her findings improve understanding of users' concerns, mental models, and risk mitigation strategies. Subsequently, she developed recommendations for protecting users' online privacy and improving their experiences. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. Mohammad addressed challenges related to the automatic configuration of software systems, specifically in the context of the Internet of Things. Modern applications may have a million or more possible configurations and Dr. Mohammad's research provides engineers with tools to identify good configurations efficiently. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. MacDonald solved several problems related to symbolic dynamics, a mathematical field that explores deep, technical analogies between the thermodynamics of gases and magnets and the grammars of formal languages. She introduced definitions and methods that put earlier work in a systematic framework, emphasizing structural and combinatorial ideas. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Morris studied advanced MRI scans which can measure white matter health in the brain and spinal cord. She used these scans to quantify myelin across the brain in healthy children and adults and to track myelin loss after a spinal cord injury. Her research validated the specificity of the scan contrast by comparison with histological staining. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 As the Global North increasingly recruits international post-secondary students as so-called ideal immigrants, the role of higher education is shifting. Dr. Brunner described this distinct form of immigration as edugration and, focusing on Canada, explored its complexities related to settler colonialism, surveillance, border imperialism, and justice. Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)
2023 Dr. Garg studied how proteins involved in ALS and COVID-19 work at the molecular scale in causing disease. A potential vaccination strategy against coronaviruses has emerged from this. Dr. Garg also established culturing protocols and genome sequence for a comb jelly which will be used to understand animal evolution. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Forrest researched the origins and development of a real-time urban traffic control system in Los Angeles, California. Through this case study, he sheds light on how both the material and cultural aspects of a municipal organization shape the city-wide implementation of digital infrastructures. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2023 Dr. Milla-Moreno examined the potential use of native trees to restore ecosystems damaged by copper mines in Chile. After assessing several tree species, the evergreen tree quillay was found suitable for this purpose because it keeps copper in the roots, as shown by mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Abdelaal's work aims to augment the surgeon skills in robot-assisted surgery. He designed novel interfaces that can use collected data in this surgical setting to improve surgical training and skill assessment. He also designed autonomous systems to help surgeons with their repetitive tasks so that they can focus on the more demanding ones. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2023 Collaboration is a complex and relational practice, compounded by varying forms of power dynamics between government and non-profit stakeholders. Dr. Gill-Badesha presents insights informing practitioners and funders about the role of engaging processes and emotions to mitigate issues of power and politics in the early stages of collaboration. Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD)
2023 Dr. Jarnikova used a submesoscale ocean model of the Salish Sea to study anthropogenic ocean acidification in this valuable ecosystem, showing that significant changes have occurred since the preindustrial era. She developed a carbonate chemistry module for the model, as well as applying machine-learning methods to model interpretation. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2023 Dr. Lingua's work explores the opportunities that arise from the analysis of social media images for the study of nature-based recreation. His work shows that by combining machine learning and traditional economic techniques, it is possible to assess forest recreational values. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dewatering of slurries and sludge is a critical industrial process. Dr. MacIver's research developed an approach to analyzing 3D X-ray images of flocs and sediments to provide new insights into how floc structure and composition change during the dewatering proces. Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. Todorovic developed new methods for constraining cyclic peptides. These peptides showed preliminary utility in killing cancer cells or medical imaging of tumors. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Parada Torres developed two new methods to estimate distances to nearby galaxies by using evolved stars as calibrators. Besides measuring distances, her research helped identify systematic biases and uncertainties in current calibrations. These new methods will help improve the determination of the rate of expansion of the universe. Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD)
2023 Dr. Morova's research presents a novel computational framework to study the impact of non-coding mutations on the development of prostate cancer. By using advanced functional genomics techniques, he worked to identify key mutations that affect the growth of the disease, which provided useful insight into the study of prostate cancer genetics. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2023 With a goal of developing and validating a scalable methodology to construct lab-made brain tissue, Dr. Vaez Ghaemi has successfully generated three-dimensionally structured tissue from a special cell population that are able to develop into many different cell types. De. Vaez Ghaemi's research confirms the suitability of these tissue-constructs for drug screening purposes. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
2023 Dr. O'Loughlin examined the impact of traditional masculinity on Canadian Veteran men's psychosocial functioning and psychotherapeutic treatment outcome. Her research elucidates the situational nature of masculinity in the context of mental health and points to the importance of gender sensitive interventions for veteran populations. Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Virk adapted a self-administered mental health screening instrument for post-secondary students (called HEARTSMAP-U). He applied a user-centred approach and engaged diverse student sub-populations in validating the instrument, to ensure it can be accurately and equitably applied in post-secondary educational settings. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)

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