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. McDiarmid investigated the function of genes and functional impact of genetic variants implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder. By developing gene editing methods to insert variants into an animal model and quantifying the effects on brain and behavior using machine vision, Dr. McDiarmid identified deficits in habituation as a common impairment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Huang explores the genomic mechanisms of adaptation. He identified structural changes in the chromosomes of dune-adapted sunflowers and revealed the importance of these changes to facilitating ecological divergence. These discoveries advance our understanding of species' adaptation to different environments and the formation of biodiversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Louie studied the walking recovery process after stroke. He specifically examined the use of robotic exoskeleton technology for clinical stroke rehabilitation. His research informs physical therapy practice and offers guidance on selecting appropriate patients with stroke and treatment parameters for this novel therapeutic technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (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. Brace proposed and developed novel methods for evaluating and quantifying systematic bias in psychometric questionnaires. These methods can be used ensure the validity of between-group and cross-cultural comparisons of psychometric survey scores. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Nelson showed that predation by marine mammals may have a significant impact on the survival of young salmon in the Salish Sea. He then evaluated several management actions that could promote the recovery of salmon, which is critical information for various stakeholders in Canada and the United States. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Using Poetic Inquiry and Life Writing, Dr. Nish examined how personal stories expand our understanding of Mild Traumatic Brian Injury and the profound effects of this invisible injury on an individual and those in relationship to them. Through this process she demonstrated how critical a person's identity was for recovery and finding resiliency. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Banta examined the geographies of returning Overseas Filipino Workers and the Philippines' migrant reintegration policy, which she argues is a strategy aimed to transform migrant workers into self-reliant entrepreneurs and investors. She illuminated the need for critical interventions in return migrant policymaking and grassroots organizing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Contasti is a statistical ecologist who developed tools to assess biodiversity in human-modified areas. Her work identified strategies to protect mammals and enhance plant regeneration in a rainforest reserve and its surrounding mixed-farmland in Indonesia. She showed that ecosystems can be managed to support biodiversity and human livelihoods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Mendler developed a novel reliability-based method to determine the minimum structural damages that can be detected and localized based on ambient structural vibrations. This framework allows engineers to evaluate the performance of existing instrumentation on bridges, and to optimize the sensor placement for earthquake-specific damages | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (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. Kapos used a mix of genetic and molecular biology techniques to examine the mechanisms of plant immunity. His work determined roles of several novel proteins in the regulation of immune signalling and added to our understanding of how protein degradation helps to modulate defence responses in plants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Tonge worked to develop a series of organic semiconductor polymers and small molecules. These materials were then used in the assembly of larger, organized nanomaterials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Cherom Kheirabadi's research involved developing mathematical models and control algorithms that allow offshore wind turbines to influence aerodynamic patterns and extract more energy from the wind. These methods raise wind farm efficiencies by 20%, thus making clean energy technology more competitive against fossil fuel-based sources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Dang studied how cultural factors influence sexuality among young Chinese and Euro-Caucasian women and men. His work showed that cultural and ethnic differences primarily impact sexual inhibition among men, and sexual excitation among women. His research will inform treatments for sexual difficulties in ethnically diverse populations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Harmful soot emissions from combustion engines are sensitive to conditions inside the cylinder. Dr. Kheirkhah developed a fast-response method for characterizing the cycle-resolved variation of soot concentration and correlated this with combustion energy, demonstrating the possibility of mitigating emissions by controlling combustion variability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ou examined the associations between maternal-infant sleep quality and maternal anger and depression. She also advanced a grounded theory about how mothers develop and manage anger in the first two years after childbirth. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Arefi studied the transport of particles and cells within microfluidic devices that mimic biological systems. This research used computer simulations to help reveal the underlying physics of the phenomena, and its findings may contribute to the design of microfluidic devices that analyze particulate and cell transport through the endothelium. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Paquin-Lefebvre became an expert in dynamical systems theory during his PhD. He analyzed the pattern-forming dynamics of novel mathematical models motivated by the compartmentalization of cellular proteins. His thesis contains the first systematic derivation of amplitude equations near a variety of spatio-temporal instabilities in such models. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Seyed-Ahmadi investigated how particle shape influences the behavior of suspensions, and developed a novel data-driven model for the prediction of forces and torques in particulate flows. His model serves as the first step towards bringing simulations of industrial-scale systems within reach. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Finding and understanding new ways to target cancer is crucial for developing successful treatment strategies. Dr. Wang's research focused on optimizing a new anti-cancer therapy based on a malaria protein that targets unique glycan modifications on cancer. His work provided knowledge that will aid the design of novel drug conjugates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Dancsok investigated the immune response to agressive cancers of the bone or soft tissues known as sarcomas. Her findings were used to help design clinical trials for sarcoma patients receiving a new type of cancer treatment called immune therapy, which works by igniting an immune system attack on cancer cells. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Yang studied how bacterial enzymes have evolved the ability to degrade novel man-made pesticides. She identified the key mutations responsible for the acquirement of the new function, and uncovered how these mutations change protein structure and function. Her research contributes to our understanding of protein evolution. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Marchant demonstrated the respective roles of the calcium and membrane clocks in cardiac pacemaking of the zebrafish, and determined important genetic distinctions in pacemaking function between mammals and zebrafish. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Pena studied the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and how it interacts with the human host cell, the macrophage, during infection. Her research resulted in the discovery of a group of compounds that help the macrophage eliminate the tuberculosis bacteria. These compounds could potentially be developed into a novel therapy for tuberculosis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |