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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dr. Milner studied the importance of education in 19th century Britain, showing the positive effects of publicly provided schools and of child labour legislation on the economic prospects of children. His work demonstrates that targeted public intervention can improve social mobility and insure against economic shocks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Huang's research focused on metabolite analysis using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. He established reliable methods to identify and quantify small molecules from biological samples and developed a software tool to facilitate metabolomics data processing. His work contributed to the biomarker discovery for biomedical research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Aljalai developed novel signaling schemes to improve the performance of 5G cellular networks and beyond. He invented the Dual Pilot Scheme and its extended version to enhance the estimation of communication channels. His research improves Quality-of-Service by advancing telecommunication systems through practical and economic engineering solutions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Tortora focused on PPAR-gamma, a protein involved in the biology of bladder cancer. Through gene editing technology, Dr. Tortora identified molecules regulating PPAR-gamma expression and clarified its effects in tumor development, thus potentially opening new possibilities for bladder cancer treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Tran studied the microscopic assembly of cellulose nanocrystals derived from sustainable sources. He produced colourful materials ranging from thin films to stretchable elastomers for applications including optical sensors and filters. His findings contribute to the search for and development of sustainable and renewable alternative materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Lefkowich designed and piloted methods for community-based digital storytelling. Using personal reflections, she illustrated how filmmakers and academics normalize, conceal, and defend racism and colonialism as best practices. To disrupt this pattern, she offered story strategies that encourage greater accountability, creativity, and bravery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Soysa examined the shear behavior of sand-silt mixtures through an extensive experimental research program. He developed a new laboratory criterion to assess the seismic resistance of soils. His study advances the current state of knowledge and understanding of the strength and stiffness of soils. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ghrear examined the curse of knowledge bias in children's estimates of what others know. She found that this bias is not specific to Western culture, but appears to be universal in humans. She found that younger children are more affected by the bias compared to older children, and identified contexts where the bias does not occur. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Wong studied the maximum possible number of certain mathematical objects when specific restrictions are imposed. Her investigation assists the community in understanding a number of important mathematical problems in extremal combinatorics, a field of study focused on the limits of finite objects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Wong explored inquiry-based learning experiences of Grade 6 English Language Learners in a technology-enhanced classroom. Her results indicated that students were engaged in innovative learning tasks which encouraged them to move their competencies, such as effective internet use, and knowledge, such as grandparent stories, into the classroom. | Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching English as a Second Language (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Henriques used mathematical models to study the evolution of cooperative behaviour in nature. He explored how cooperation between organisms affected their ability to adapt to changing environments. His research showed that cooperation can be maintained by interactions between groups of organisms, and that it can promote species diversification. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Prescott studied how people with disabilities navigate their communities. He found barriers in the pedestrian environment that negatively affected their ability to get around, which made it challenging to reach destinations. His research identifies policy and practice changes needed to improve their access to outdoor urban spaces. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ibrahim demonstrated that mobile automated speed enforcement increases safety by reducing collisions and crime incidence, and identified that changing the number of times an enforcement is visited can change the safety outcome. These novel findings can allow road agencies to maximize safety benefits by strategically deploying limited resources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Moon used comics as a theoretical and formal intervention to explore perspectival shifts between science and literature in early 20th-century Britain. Her format-bending research revealed how works by Arthur Eddington, James Jeans, Olaf Stapledon, and Virginia Woolf moved beyond singular, Earth-centered, and human-centered perspectives. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2021 | There are many who believe that genes commonly code for more than one functional product, through a process called alternative splicing. Dr. Bhuiyan studied the evidence for this claim, and showed that - despite what we learn in our textbooks - alternative splicing is not as common as we thought. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Abdi introduced novel machine learning methods for clinical diagnosis and planning of jaw reconstructive surgeries and cardiovascular interventions. His designs and ideas enable clinicians in decision making via AI-generated insights from echocardiograms, multimodality information fusion, generative modelling, and object tracking. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Zhang's research explained why the current method used in psychological research for handling missing data may distort the results regarding the fit of statistical models. She also developed two alternative methods that can correctly estimate the model fit. Her research contributes to the statistical methods used in psychological research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Sauvé prepared organic semiconductors with novel optical properties and morphologies for potential application in electronic devices and in encryption. He also developed new luminescent dyes for efficient displays and biological imaging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Choi examined the works of modern and contemporary Korean diasporic artists and studied how they were intertwined with the dynamics of the global dispersion of Koreans. Her research accounted for the complexity of these works, and considered the issues that diasporic artists continue to address in the face of globalization and transnationalism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. D'Costa demonstrated that some kidney cancer patients can be treated with a drug used in brain tumor therapy for improved response. She also developed a way to group patients and guide the practice of personalized medicine in clinics. Her research may help improve survival and therapy outcomes in kidney cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Adhikari examined the synergy between pedestrian design features and neighbourhood walkability to explain physical activity in children, teens, and older adults. His findings can be used to design cities with better pedestrian environments by retrofitting existing urban infrastructure and harnessing neighbourhood walkability for health benefits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Coulombe studied endothelial cell signaling in the development of the lung and blood system. His research demonstrated the participation of various cell types and identified pivotal factors in the formation of these organs. His work furthers our understanding of developmental processes, providing insights for therapies and regenerative medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Rocks traced Chinese involvement in transnational anarchist networks with anarchists in Europe and the Americas. He revealed that anarchism and anarchist practice offered sympathetic Chinese means to imagine and act to build worlds beyond the pathways of nation, state, colony, empire, and Marxist-Leninist or Fascist internationalism. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Acheson worked with the BC Centre for Disease Control to examine how climatic and land use changes affected a fungus called Cryptococcus gattii, which caused a deadly fungal outbreak on Vancouver Island in 1999. She discovered that deforestation events on the island were likely a major contributor to the outbreak. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Yaghmaiean uncovered a novel group of proteins called receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases, which function downstream of other proteins and have redundant functions of transducing immune signals in the model plant Arabidopsis. These results provide new insights on such proteins as common transducers in different plant immune signalling events. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |