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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dr. Nasseri investigated the molecular mechanism of carbohydrate consumption by bacteria and devised a new strategy for developing antibacterial agents, based on the idea that a sugar-coated antibiotic can selectively target those bacteria that like to consume the specific sugar. His work will contribute to the development of future antibiotics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2025 | John Ticknor delivered groundbreaking insights into the mobility and transport of dilute-limit lithium ions in van der Waals layered materials. This process is essential in the operation of a lithium-ion battery, and the 'first of their kind' experimental results directly validated computational simulations that underpin modern battery research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Bashir developed clean energy processes for green alkaline peroxide production and carbon dioxide utilization by addressing electrode stability and scale-up challenges associated with two phase electrochemical processes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Fox’s research examined patterns in the environmental and cultural histories of residential, industrial, and military waste plumes in Washington and British Columbia. Her dissertation offers a model of these patterns for scholars and communities working on pollution, climate change, public health and environmental policy issues. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2025 | In a longitudinal study, Dr. Drew followed 500 infants’ socio-cognitive development from birth to preschool, to assess whether a mature moral sense can be traced back to rudimentary behaviours exhibited during infancy. Her work contributes to our understanding of individual differences in the earliest stages of moral and social development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Suan studied special geometric structures related to string theory on 6- and 7-dimensional spaces. His research showed that a particular process called a conifold transition is continuous and also gave a long-time existence criterion for extending the Anomaly flow. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2025 | Perthes’ disease is a rare condition in children that can permanently change the shape of the hip joint. Dr. Johnson used advanced medical images and computer models to explore how hip joint shape and movement results in damage to the joint’s cartilage, which can lead to pain, early-onset arthritis, and reduced quality of life during adulthood. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Wang transformed the understanding of prostate cancer by identifying lineage-specific transcription factors and a three-phase progression model. Highlighting NFIX as a key regulator of tumor dormancy, this work paves the way for early intervention to control cancer within a patient’s lifespan—bringing a cancer no-fear world closer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Damoo examined the role of effectors on the virulence of the corn smut fungus. Her work identified a novel mechanism by which fungal pathogen manipulate their host to favour their proliferation. Additionally, she worked on repurposing commercialized herbicides, evaluating their efficacy in managing fungal pathogens and improving crop protection | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Forouzandeh explored the role of real-world urban sustainability experimentations in addressing urgent challenges like affordable housing. Through diverse case studies across Canada, she identified key dynamics and dimensions shaping their success and developed frameworks to enhance their impact in connection to broader urban transformations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2025 | Canada’s federal prison system removes and disappears people, despite the stated aims that prisoners can maintain relations across the prison threshold. The practical realities of this are compounding and harmful. By centering lived expert knowledge of those who have survived women’s prison, Dr. McIlveen’s work moves us beyond academic debates that ignore the processes that isolate and perpetuate harm. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Kabacinska studied the use of social robotics to improve mental health across lifespan. Her research focused on exploring the perspectives of current and future robot users to improve robot mental health interventions and make them better suited to user needs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Molyneux’s mixed methods study developed a comprehensive understanding of factors that affect Grade 6-8 students’ school belonging based on their own perceptions. She found that students’ belonging is enhanced through experiences of comfort, care, and connection. The findings can inform school-based initiatives to promote belonging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Richardson’s research focused on Granzyme K, a previously understudied enzyme now linked to chronic inflammatory diseases. She established a role for Granzyme K in psoriasis, uncovering how it promotes disease development in skin. Her work redefines the biological function of Granzyme K and sets the stage for future therapeutic innovation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Cotugno examined the relationship between attention and ethics. He argued that the conscious direction of attention can cultivate habits of moral behavior. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Jbara's worked on modeling systems of particles and fluids. Using computational methods and machine learning, she developed advanced models that enhance the accuracy of predicting particle-fluid dynamics. Her work pushes the boundaries of traditional simulations, offering solutions with profound implications for engineering and industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Grzedowski has developed a new method of making DNA biosensors. Overall, improving the sensitivity of detection of nucleic acids and important disase markers will make diagnosing conditions easier, simpler, and more accesible. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Mirzaee developed an accurate and efficient method for simulating three-dimensional turbulent flows, widely seen in aerospace and automotive industries. His work on higher-order finite volume solvers reduces computational costs while preserving accuracy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Robinson's research in Experimental Medicine developed a new Indigenous research methodology and framework called the KIJIKATIG Education Model. His work highlights how narrative inquiry and carving practices restore knowledge, revitalize education, and affirm carving as medicine, benefiting Indigenous communities, scholars, and educators | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Engbrecht investigated the role of romance in 20th and 21st century literary formations of gender and sexuality. Combining literary theory and cultural studies, they developed a theoretical model of the “critical-romance” genre to explore queer intimacy and the genderqueer. Their research contributes to studies of gender and sexuality broadly. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2025 | In her thesis, Dr. Ma explored the integration of edge intelligence in 6G networks to enable AI-driven applications. She proposed solutions to accelerate federated learning training, enable dynamic content caching, and achieve privacy-aware image transmission, which has the potential to enhace the capacity and intelligence of future 6G services. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Zhan studied biostatistical methods for improving clinical trial design in SPPH. He developed Bayesian adaptive approaches that allow trials to respond more effectively to accumulating data. His research enhances the efficiency and ethical conduct of trials, benefiting researchers and patients alike. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2025 | The ocean is crucial for food security. Recent studies suggest that beyond long-term climate change, extreme events, such as marine heatwaves, could profoundly alter the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. Dr. Guibourd de Luzinais studied the consequences of marine heatwaves on marine communities using numerical models on a global scale | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceans and Fisheries (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Turley studied landscape changes following glacier retreat over decades to millennia, focusing on the patterns and variability in sediment supply, transport, and deposition. The amount of sediment leaving a single watershed was shown to vary by over five orders of magnitude, influenced by geology, glacial history, and postglacial adjustment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Bednar developed and investigated devices for actively controlled drug delivery via temperature. His work facilitates future research involving drug delivery systems. Material choices, fabrication, and experimental techniques were carefully determined, hoping to inspire similar environmentally conscientious work. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |