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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dr. Lee used novel techniques and various modelling approaches to evaluate impacts of nitrogen fertilization at a coastal forest and provide better estimates of photosynthesis and respiration. These results help us understand more about the role of temperate forests in climate change mitigation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mulverhill developed methods for estimating forest inventory attributes in a boreal mixedwood forest with terrestrial photogrammetry and airborne laser scanning. These estimates often matched or exceeded those made using conventional inventory techniques and could contribute to more informed and sustainable management of the world's forests. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Through theoretical and qualitative inquiries, Dr. Clegg invited Canadian counselling psychology educators to listen deeply to Indigenous Knowledges, changing assumptions underlying curriculum and disciplinary identity, and unfolding questions of what it means for educators, students, and clients to relate to place and land. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Jabalee examined the molecular changes that occur during cancer progression. He identified silencing of the SMPD3 gene as a driver of cell motility and demonstrated the presence of morphological alterations in non-cancer cells adjacent to tonsil tumors. This work opens the door to development of novel tests for early tumor detection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mitra examined the effect of separate refining and co-refining of mixtures of softwood and hardwood pulps in terms of paper tensile strength. He developed a scaling law for tensile strength increase during refining of pulp mixtures, which will help use NBSK pulp to the highest potential and achieve target strengths depending on grades of paper. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Pilliar developed a new person-centered approach to understand and remedy access to justice problems. Drawing on analyses of the legal services landscape, interview research with people who have had access to justice problems, and data on how lawyers do their work, Dr. Pilliar proposes four tangible steps to improve access to justice in Canada. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Davies studied the user interface design aspects of how to best present large and complex patient genomic data at the point of care to improve frailty risk assessment. Her research is a step towards integrating big data into routine primary care usage. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Booth showed how the molecules that give cannabis its psychoactive properties and unique aromas are produced in the flowers of the plant. Her research aims to explain why cannabis types differ in their aromas. Her results expand our knowledge of metabolism in cannabis, a plant of growing economic importance, and the properties of its products. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Sadiq explored language and literacy practices of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, one of the largest, yet understudied, displaced populations. He found that families engage in various literacy practices. At school, females experienced more success than males, as the latter lacked available guardians and schoolwork was beyond their level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hernandez Torres studied two probabilistic models that emulate phenomena in physics and biology. She focused on understanding the behaviour of these models at a large-scale. Her results add to our mathematical understanding of the relation between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of natural processes within probability theory. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ebneyamini's research focused on the regeneration of limestone-based particles as sorbents for the capture of CO2 via calcium-looping. His work introduced a novel technology, capable of efficient sorbent regeneration at relatively mild temperatures. The process also benefits from CO2 utilization, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ho studied the link between physical activity and cognitive function. His research showed that physical activity is associated with improved performance on tasks such as university exams. He also developed a novel way to measure physical activity outdoors. These results have implications for the promotion and measurement of physical activity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hategeka examined health system quality and the contribution of several quality improvement interventions in Rwanda. He found that health system quality has improved over the past decade, however, further improvements are needed to improve maternal and child health. His research will inform future quality improvement strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Padda explored the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in supporting the regeneration of lodgepole pine trees at abandoned gravel mining pits. Her research showed that pine trees associate with these beneficial bacteria as a survival strategy to thrive on such degraded sites, offering the potential to be used as a sustainable reclamation tool. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Blundon showed that hearing may be one of the last senses to remain active before death. Some hospice patients may still be able to hear sounds, especially music, when they become unresponsive just before they pass away. These results broaden our understanding of what happens to us as we die and how best to care for our dying loved ones. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mirazimi studied the dissolution of arsenic from mine waste materials and investigated the key factors that control arsenic release from arsenic bearing minerals to the environment. His study provides key information for the prevention and management of waste rock drainage containing arsenic. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | By studying the integrity of titanium exposed to mineral slurries in hydrometallurgy, Dr. Liu found that mineral solids can result in the wear and corrosion of titanium. Her research related titanium's corrosion resistance to prevailing environmental conditions. Her work will improve the safety and economics of processing plants that use titanium. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Finlay studied the markers of sustained success in high performance sports organisations, proposing two conceptual models on how leaders managed processes of change management and performance management. The research informs high performance sports organisations, and the leaders working within them, in relation to best practices in these areas. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mathae discovered the role of an immune cell population in sex bias in asthma prevalence. She also found that these cells migrate from the lung to the liver upon activation, linking the lung and liver immunity. Her work highlights the complexity of the local and systemic immune regulations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Bulaeva developed a new model of acute myeloid leukemia by overexpressing a gene called MYC in normal human blood cells. Using this model, she found that these cells require signals also present during inflammation to initiate leukemia and behave normally in their absence, suggesting that inflammation may play a role in human leukemogenesis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Canning studied how people living with advanced dementia in long-term care continued to experience meaningful engagement. Despite significant losses they demonstrated a range of enduring abilities and skills. Her findings support ways for caregivers to connect with residents during both structured activities and informal interactions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Bowles investigated an axiomatic framework for problems concerning optimal ways to transport a distribution into another. In his work, he focused on an associated class of non-linear operators and developed their invariant properties. This research contributes to our understanding of common structures that persists across such problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Alexander examined the molecular basis of two mechanisms of antibiotic resistance found in the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. His characterisation of protein-antibiotic interactions using x-ray crystallography and kinetics contributes insight into how resistance occurs and could guide the development of new and improved antibiotics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ashkani developed a methodology for seismic assessment of reinforced concrete bridges. He also investigated the role of soil-structure interaction in the probability of collapse of reinforced concrete bridges and studied variation of the bridge foundation motions from the earthquake ground motions at the ground surface. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ennis determined the dietary requirements for amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine in human pregnancy, while comparing findings to current management practices of maternal phenylketonuria patients. These studies will improve dietary recommendations during pregnancy that have the potential to positively impact birth outcomes. |