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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dr. Twa characterized the pathobiology and sequelae, or consequences, of chromosomal rearrangements in lymphoid neoplasia, which arise from cancerous lymphoid cells. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Gomez studied the structure and dynamics of localized patterns in cellular biology using several new mathematical models, some patterns of which have applications to bulk-membrane processes. The analysis of such patterns provides insights on the phenomena being modeled and contributes to our general understanding of pattern formation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Vashishta demonstrated the trapping of polyatomic free radicals using solenoid coils and permanent magnets. This work showed for the first time the possibility of trapping polyatomic radicals, which can now be used to enhance our understanding of fundamental processes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | In a community of practice, Dr. Smith artistically explored the pedagogical possibilities and ethics of photo-based memory work in the exhibition Against Disappearance: A Photographic Search for Memory. Her work on lexical thinking and visual lifewriting expands understandings of photographic inquiry, highlighting a/r/tography's creative potential. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum 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. Aghigh investigated the response of specific excited molecular systems to different time-varying electric fields and showed experimentally that electrons in such systems approach an immobilized state. This research constructs the building blocks of many important future applications in areas such as Quantum Computing, and Astronomy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Lecorps investigated the effects of some common stressful and painful procedures on dairy cattle welfare. He found that some procedures likely induce negative mood and that some personality traits (e.g. pessimism) may render calves more vulnerable to stressors. His work shows that more research is needed to improve the welfare of dairy cattle. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ye studied the genetic architecture of strabismus, more commonly known as crossed eyes. She identified the likely causal gene in a large family with a history of strabismus, multiple biological pathways, and the involvement of the central nervous system. This research advanced the understanding of strabismus pathology and may improve patient care. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Montenegro Alonso studied a specific small protein that is secreted by the smut fungus when it infects barley. She revealed its timing of expression, localization in the plant and the role it plays in weakening the plant defenses. These findings can be used to better understand plant-fungal interactions and to develop resistant crop varieties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Hoffarth explored the catalytic potential of the biosynthetic pathway of an antibiotic called indolmycin for contributions to natural product and antibiotic development. This exploration provided mechanistic insights for rare types of oxygen-dependent enzymes and produced novel derivatives of indolmycin using bacteria. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (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. Firmino discovered that during the immune response to cancers, a low oxygen environment develops among B cells that helps fine-tune the B cell immune response. She associated characteristics of the B cell response with overall survival in breast cancer patients. This work may help develop new biomarkers of immune responses in cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Kozik examined the relationship between exercise and cognition. His research found that performance on laboratory measures of cognition was predicted by the degree to which individuals were cognitively engaged during exercise. These results suggest that actively using one's mind during exercise may offer greater benefits than exercise alone. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Guntly demonstrated that paradoxical responses in discourse such as 'Yeah, that's wrong.' select different components in a speaker's utterance. Experimental results and natural examples show that paradoxical responses can target speaker beliefs or the question under discussion, in addition to the central claim of the utterance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Rahimi worked on different approaches for predicting moisture in a batch of kiln-dried timber. He provided a predictive model and proposed a closed formula to estimate moisture variation after kiln-drying. His research is a forward step to reduce over-dried and under-dried timbers and, therefore, render them more value-added products. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Nowadays, there is a growing concern over the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change. Dr. Rodriguez-Arelis' research has used statistical computer experiments to simulate complex natural phenomena and engineering processes. These tools have improved the prediction accuracy of different systemic responses such as hurricane hazards. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Poor data collection protocols can severely bias statistical methods. Dr. Watson developed elementary space-time statistical methodologies for detecting and mitigating sampling bias. He applied his work to tackle issues in the fields of public health and endangered species conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Al-Digs developed analytical models and algorithmic methods for operational monitoring and control tasks that ensure reliable and efficient operation of electric power systems. His research will enable real-time detection of disturbances, offer computationally efficient dynamic contingency analysis, and optimize power system asset utilization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Belonging is an essential human need. Through relationship and research, Dr. Bulk elucidated how belonging develops in places of learning, teaching, and working; deepened understanding of being blind and belonging; expanded upon how communities can co-create belonging; and highlighted scholarly teaching through research-based theatre. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ouyang showed how the number of participants needed in a clinical trial can be reduced by making use of information from outside the trial, by changing how people are assigned to the treatment groups, and by improving the way the data are analyzed. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Tran developed a simple, rapid, and inexpensive method for visualizing cancer cells that were labeled with various ultrabright fluorescent particles on a 3-D printed, smartphone-based imaging platform. His research demonstrates potential for applications in point-of-care diagnostic testing and personalized medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Yang studied a special four-stranded nucleic acid structure, called the G-quadruplex, through developing new tools and methods. His collection of works provide evidence for the biological relevance and existence of these structures in living human cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Adams showed that preturbing the machinery necessary for moving calcium and lipids between different components of cells in the testis results in the dysregulation of mammalian sperm release. His work has substantially added to the knowledge of sperm release mechanisms and has provided insight into infertility disorders in men. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Lee studied the moisture-related physical qualities of BC softwood pellets. His work suggested best practices for handling wood pellets in wet conditions. Dr. Lee's research also explored ways to minimize moisture adsorption, thus minimizing the degradation of wood pellets during storage and transport. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Chen studied the processing-microstructure-property relationships of thermoset composite materials that are toughened by particulate interlayer. His discovery of a new mechanism for how processing conditions affect the microstructure and properties of these materials contributes to fundamental materials science and has industrial applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |