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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Dr. Carabet applied a novel strategy to target the oncogenic activity of Myc transcription factors implicated in the most therapy-resistant, lethal and incurable forms of prostate cancer. Using state-of-the-art computational methods, she developed novel drug leads that may serve as first-in-class drugs for treatment of advanced prostate cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Whyte examined the historical origins and political geographies of American psychological warfare. His work has challenged convention and increased our understanding of communication and warfare. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Klippenstein provided a template for individuals and institutions interested in presenting an opera production of material from a Korean sung-storytelling tradition called pansori. His work furthers research such as this to become a common source for opera in the future and for this exposure to increase interest in pansori and similar traditions. | Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice (DMA) |
| 2019 | Dr. Choquette studied territorial expansion in the history of Canada to look at the ideas that justified it. This work serves as a cautionary tale because it reveals that expansion, which required the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous Peoples, was made on the reason that it would improve their standard of living. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2019 | Current HIV treatment can effectively manage infection, but it is not a cure. Hence, there is a need for new kinds of anti-HIV drugs. Dr. Zamiri discovered two anti-HIV molecules active in both wild and drug resistant HIV strains. Her research suggests a mechanism of action different from the current HIV drugs and may inform future therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2019 | During diabetes, insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells become dysfunctional. Dr. Speckmann explored the role of two activity-regulated genes and showed that both are required for optimal insulin secretion. These findings improve our understanding of normal beta-cell function, with the goal of developing novel therapeutics for diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Tomkovic studied self-responsive polymers. She developed novel self-healing materials with ultra-fast, autonomous recovery of mechanical properties and strong adhesive characteristics. These complex polymeric materials possess reactive functional groups that allow control of their flow and mechanical properties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Why do some states resolve their maritime conflicts where others do not? Dr. Osthagen examined why states settle maritime boundary disputes around the world and discovered that there are reasons why some states seem content to let boundaries remain unresolved. Understanding this is important as oceans rise on the international agenda in the 21st century. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Mpidi Bita evaluated the structural performance of tall wood buildings following extreme events, such as explosions and natural catastrophes. His research provides design guidance which may be used by structural engineers to ensure that buildings remains stable for sufficient time to allow for evacuation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Peeters validated a transgenic mouse model for studying how human genes on the X chromosome in females are turned on and off throughout development. These studies are important for understanding mechanisms of gene regulation that contribute to differences between males and females. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Crisan examined how 'big data' used by public health systems should be visually represented for decision making. She developed software tools and methods that can help people analyze, see, and understand complex data used to monitor and control disease outbreaks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Mathew studied the career decision-making of immigrant young people who self-defined as doing well. He identified the roles of personal, interpersonal, experiential, and cultural factors that contributed towards their success. His work will help counsellors and career practitioners focus on the identified contributors of success. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Fooken investigated human eye movements in decision-making tasks. Her work linked eye movement patterns with the ability to predict visual events, revealing that eye movements can sensitively indicate decision outcomes. These findings add to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying eye movement control and sensorimotor decision making. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Shankar applied an innovative method to study how a measure is used between two individuals. Her research extracts data that goes beyond traditional investigations of cognitive processes to include actions, emotions and motivation. Dr. Shankar's work provides a new way forward to help advance the future of validity and measurement research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Hashemi discovered five novel small molecules with the ability to reawaken the latent HIV-1 reservoirs without causing toxicity. As an HIV cure could be achieved through elimination of the viral latent reservoirs of infected cells, her research may provide a novel means to abolish the HIV-persistent infection in a patient's body. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Chan showed that the supplementation of an enzyme, coagulation factor XIIIa, and its synthetic substrates can improve the adhesiveness of blood clots to wounds. This study assists us in developing new therapies for treating traumatic bleeding. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2019 | Resonant power converters are widely used in renewable energy and electric vehicle applications. Dr. Mohammadi introduced the homopolarity cycle theory for resonant converters. Using this theory he tackled problems associated with complexity and developed a three-layer control strategy that improves efficiency and performance in resonant converters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Sutton studied the politics of U.S. financial reforms after 2009. He found that the need to restore the confidence of institutional investors limited the scope of the reforms. He also found that veto points and concerns about the loss of international competitiveness did not necessarily prevent tough regulations being adopted. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Arnadottir examined the emergence of contemporary artistic practices in Iceland through a study of the activities of the artist collective SUM from 1965 to 1978. She argued that Icelandic contemporary art is uniquely shaped by the country's historically peripheral status within the Danish empire and by the profound influence of romantic and nationalist discourse in Iceland. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Bauer studied the geochemistry of chromium and iron in modern and ancient rock and sediments. He created new knowledge about the implementation of these two transition metals as paleoredox proxies that will allow for more nuanced reconstructions of the complex history of oxygen in Earth's surface environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. MacKenzie investigated the processes that control bank erosion in steep, gravel-bed channels. She found that a small number of large grains stabilize the channel regardless of the amount of water and sediment supplied to the system. These results have implications for hazard mitigation and infrastructure design in mountainous regions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Livernois examined the theoretical foundations of market-based policies and cost-benefit analysis, arguing that both fall short of delivering results that could forge sound environmental policy. The outcome of this research was to clarify misguided economic concepts with the aim of contributing to the improvement of environmental policy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2019 | Upgrading bio-oil to a viable transport fuel requires de-oxygenation. Dr. Liu developed an inexpensive catalyst for removing oxygen in bio-oil. He examined the catalyst both experimentally and theoretically and found that its performance is comparable to customary metal catalysts used in bio-oil upgrading. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Chavardes explored how drought influenced fires over time and space in western Canadian forests. He used weather and climate records, statistical models, tree-ring science, and fire-scar records to understand historical associations between droughts and fire. This work helps landscape managers foresee how future fires can be impacted by climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Dawson's doctoral studies focused on refining a new cellular therapy for organ transplant recipients. His work will support a future clinical trial that aims to improve organ longevity and patient quality of life by re-educating the immune system to accept the organ. This will reduce the need for immunosuppressive drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |