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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dr. Zaman investigated how state & nonstate actors intervene in disaster resilience planning, exposing disparities between international standards & local contexts using Pakistan as case study. Criticizing top-down governance, her research advocates prioritizing basic human needs alongside resilience for community wellbeing amidst climate crises. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Ruder examined the conditions under which novel agricultural technologies can support transitions to more just and sustainable food systems in Canada. Her research offered new ways to evaluate impacts of technologies, made policy recommendations, and informed a toolkit of public scholarship resources for governing data and technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Moerhuis investigated the timescales of closed-system crystallization of basaltic magmas within the Earth's crust using the 56 million-year-old Skaergaard intrusion in East Greenland as a natural laboratory, contributing to a better understanding of widespread basaltic magmatism in the North Atlantic at a time of significant global warming. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Foo's research aimed to develop novel drugs that target the drivers of prostate and breast cancers. By screening hundreds of compounds, Dr. Foo characterized the activity of new molecules that effectively inhibit cancer growth. This work will provide new therapeutic avenues to address the needs of patients who no longer respond to current treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Asadi developed sustainable solutions utilizing ion exchange and electrochemical processes for effectively treating per- and poly-fluoro alkyl substances, commonly known as "forever chemicals," from water sources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Kreyenmeier studied human eye movements to understand how the brain transforms sensory signals into motor actions. He showed that eye movements can be used as a model system to reveal how humans perceive and interact with their complex and dynamic environment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Castrejon Violante found that explicit constitutional recognition of the right to food is an effective way to comprehensively address food systems' challenges and advance the right's realization. Her work highlights the importance of constitutional entrenchment of human rights and the need for further implementation research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Macdonald examined how patients with chronic illness participate in civic organizations that help bring the patient perspective to health research. His work contributes to our knowledge on how to create institutions of research that are responsive and able to integrate input from patients and the public. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Han's research delves into the ingenious strategies employed by our intestinal cells to detect and combat the food-borne pathogen Salmonella. These tactics include promoting mucus secretion to expel the pathogen, releasing signals to enlist immune cell reinforcements, and, remarkably, self-sacrifice to eliminate the invading bacteria. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Li developed computational tools to discover and design novel antimicrobial peptides using machine learning techniques. His research provides high-throughput solutions for the development of novel peptide-based therapeutics to combat the escalating threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Tai combined addiction psychiatry and machine learning to address the opioid crisis. His models predict overdose risk, enhancing early intervention and treatment. Dr. Tai's research aims to improve understanding of addiction and prevent overdose deaths, demonstrating his commitment to public health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Zhang developed statistical methods to uncover hidden patterns in biological data. His research helped to unravel the underlying mechanism of complex diseases. In a study of pancreatic cancer, his method revealed seven gene programs related to cancer progression, which can aid researchers to develop more effective treatment strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Beattie elicited young children's perspectives on outdoor learning, which revealed the importance of acknowledging children's agency, creating physical connections with sticks and other natural objects, and acknowledging place as an agentic teacher to foster meaningful and effective learning across the curriculum. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Oliveira studied a new class of surfaces of interest to researchers in different areas of mathematics and provided many previously unknown examples. His research contributes to an understanding of the deeper relationships between seemingly separate subjects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Purevjav examined current water use practices in two mining regions in Mongolia. Her findings identified processes that help to improve access to water and water quality for local communities. The findings contribute to the discussion of water sustainability in mining regions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Baldus' research studies contribute to correspondence and art practices that acknowledge the tension between individual experience and that collective thinking which happens across different kinds of distance and variation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Primbetova has developed methods to produce therapeutic T cells and megakaryocytes using biomaterials and stem cells. Her research enables advancements of cellular therapies for blood-related diseases and genetic conditions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Deberdt addressed the unequal nature of green transition supply chains through the example of cobalt from the Congo. His dissertation demonstrates the greenwashing at stake in the fight against climate change and the more or less unintended human rights abuses of these processes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Kourehpaz enhanced seismic risk assessment methodologies for building structures by incorporating site-specific hazard considerations and addressing various sources of uncertainty in risk models. He employed statistical and machine learning methods to improve the accuracy of regional earthquake-induced damage and economic loss estimates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Sample developed methods to improve salivary gland dose constraints during radiotherapy. This included the development of medical image deblurring techniques, tools for locating salivary glands on CT images, dose response analyses, and tools for treatment planning with modernized dose constraints. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Should patients with coronary artery disease consider stenting if they must wait for bypass surgery? Dr. Hardiman compared treatment results of delayed surgery and readily available stenting, finding that patients who underwent surgery fared better. His study will inform future treatment decisions and policy in cardiac care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Howren examined the relationship between mental disorders and arthritis and whether people with arthritis receive adequate care for depression or anxiety. Her research demonstrates arthritis has an underlying relationship with depression and anxiety, that mental disorders are substantially undertreated, and that mental health care needs are largely unmet. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Reid investigated topics in numerical relativity including the critical collapse of the Maxwell field and further developments of the Z4 formulation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Rad's research centered on enhancing devices that provide a tactile sense of simulated environments. Her work elevated the quality of interactions and perception in dynamic environments. Her findings hold promise for critical fields like medical training and telesurgery, where interaction precision is vital for patient safety. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Cetin studied the ore sorting potential of a block cave mine. He developed an evaluation method applicable to other cave mining operations, exploring sensor-based pre-concentration. His findings contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the mining industry and facilitating its digital transformation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |