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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Garcia-Patino studied the role of an enzyme called Rho kinase 2 in the development of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetes. Her findings show that the absene of this enzyme confers protection against this type of injury, while protection is lost in the presence of diabetes. These findings have potential therapeutic implications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Peng studied a variety of computational imaging modalities. He developed lightweight but powerful computational cameras and mix-and-match holographic displays. This research illuminates the insights on incorporating optics and computation algorithms to better record, understand and deliver visual information. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Edward studied intersections of queer identity, ecology, and agricultural practices in farmers. His work demonstrated how queer identity shapes practices and perceptions of agriculture and ecology even as agriculture and ecology shapes queer identity. His work impacts fields ranging from queer theory to agroecology. Yes, he studied gay farmers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Owen produced an original theoretical framework for understanding how neuroscience and theories of consciousness have influenced contemporary Anglo-American fiction. His analyses establish the genre of neurofiction as a literary response to some of the most significant philosophical and cultural questions of our time. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Wang studied biologically active natural products from marine invertebrates, bacteria and plants. She found a series of terpenoids that activate latent HIV provirus expression from a marine sponge. Her work advances our understanding of using marine-derived compounds for novel drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Dee studied the evolution of diverse cell shapes in fungi. By comparing cellular organization and gene content across the fungi and its closest relatives, Dr. Dee has expanded our understanding of how different fungal shapes could have been molded with a shared set of genetic tools that was present in the common ancestor of fungi and animals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Gomez-Ramirez examined on-street sex work and transgender politics in Mexico City. She used a critical trans and sexual labour lens to understand how social class and informal vending practices shape the realities of low-income trans women. Her work contributes to rethinking common understandings about the key issues that affect transpeople today. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Tsuruta studied the impacts of climate change on the sediment dynamics of the Fraser River Basin. He adapted a small-scale model into one capable of simulating the sediment processes within a large-scale basin. His findings will inform future water-related decisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kheyrandish studied the applicability of novel ultraviolet LEDs to disinfect water. He developed two protocols to facilitate the evaluation of UV-LED systems by investigating the photonics aspect of UV-LEDs. The significance of his research will contribute to the development of systems for disinfecting water using UV-LEDs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Gallina showed that specific regions within the quadriceps muscle are uniquely activated in the presence of clinical or experimental knee pain. These studies further our understanding of how the human body adapts to pain, contributing to effective interventions for musculoskeletal disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Masnadi contributed to push the limits of semiconductor technology towards achieving higher speed, lower power consumption, and more efficient integration. His work enables a number of applications including cost effective integration of Terahertz imaging and sensing systems, and ultra-low-power, battery-free, wireless sensing connectivity solutions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Hilchie developed new methods to rigorously test for the action of chemical processes that produce and differentiate rocks. His applications of these methods inform the nature of chemical variability in some of the oldest volcanic rocks on Earth. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Snauffer applied machine learning techniques to assessments of snow in British Columbia. He built an artificial neural network using gridded data products and a snow model to better estimate snow water equivalent across the region. This work will lead to improved avalanche and runoff forecasts as well as new tools for water resources managers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Keyvani studied the use of laser ultrasonics to measure grain size evolution in cobalt super alloys and pure copper. She significantly reduced the necessity of ex-situ and labour-intensive microstructure characterizations and provided a tool to optimize processing routes for a wide range of metals and alloys. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Martin studied the physical packaging of the genome, and how this is altered upon gene expression. He found that chemical modifications of structural proteins, called histones, largely occur as a consequence of gene expression, contrary to previous reports. These findings help us to better understand the mechanisms governing gene expression. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Mahony explored the ways that climates of the 21st century are departing from historical variability. Some of these locally unfamiliar climates are unlike the historical climate types of British Columbia and North America. Identifying novel climates is an important step in adapting forestry practices to climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Studies have shown that chlorogenic acid (or CGA) found in plants may provide health benefits. Dr. Liang studied the effect of CGA isomers present in coffee. She discovered that these isomers mitigated oxidative stress and inflammation. Her findings are important for understanding the potential influence of CGA isomers on human intestinal health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Paladino studied organic chemistry. He extended the scope of a new reaction for the synthesis of two members of a naturally occurring family of alkaloids. His results demonstrate how this reaction can be employed for the construction of medicinal relevant molecules. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | During cancer development, sub-groups of tumour cells can accumulate genetic changes that make them resistant to treatment and lead to relapse. Dr. Zahn developed technologies to disentangle the mixture of cells and track how these sub-groups develop over time. This work will help to investigate new treatment choices to improve patient outcomes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Pournazari examined the corrosion properties and protection systems for aluminum-copper B206 casting alloy. This is a candidate material for critical components in novel tidal-based, clean energy generating systems. This research contributes towards improving the effectiveness and reliability of marine infrastructure and clean energy generation systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Heer explored how Sikh youth think about multiculturalism and multicultural differences in schools and wider societal contexts. Particularly relevant in this study are the ways contested understandings of race, ethnicity, religion and gender influence identity formation and the ways Sikh youth make meaning of others in multicultural Canada. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. O'Hearn examined the erotic book trade in Victorian England and provided a parallel textual history of print culture during that period. Gaining access to archives and making long lost erotic texts freely available to the public, Dr. O'Hearn was able to call attention to a traditionally overlooked genre of literature. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Funston researched the interaction between computer hardware and computer software. He invented operating system techniques that improve the performance and increase the power efficiency of computer servers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Da Ros examined the biological potential of poplar and willow as a buffer crop to reduce the flow of phosphorus into aquatic environments and help prevent algal blooms. Effective nutrient resorption was identified as the major factor impeding phosphorus removal. This work has implications on nutrient management in perennial agriculture systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Lu developed an autonomous controller design and maintenance strategy for the process industry that can monitor and tune model-based controllers automatically without human interventions. The proposed approach addresses several challenges to achieve this completely user-free scheme. It can greatly reduce the costs on controller maintenance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |