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. Attia explored the deconstruction pathway of the plant cell wall component xyloglucan in the soil bacterium Cellvibrio japonicus. He discovered and functionally characterized different degrading enzymes essentially involved in this neat utilization pathway. This work identifies extremely useful enzymes for future biofuel production. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. O'Reilly examined the problem of weight stigma in health care and how to reduce this bias among health care providers. Her findings show that an online course with multiple stigma reduction strategies can be useful in addressing weight stigma among health care providers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Program comprehension is a crucial aspect of software engineering. Dr. Alimadadi proposed automated techniques for facilitating comprehension, helping developers understand the dynamic behaviour and motifs of program execution. Results showed that her methods significantly improve the performance of developers in their everyday tasks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Zou studied the relationship between somatostatin receptors and cannabinoid receptor 1 and found that these receptors exist and function in a complex. She also explored the pathological significance of such interaction in neuronal toxicity, offering a potential target for drug discovery against related neurological disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Isovaline is a rare amino acid brought to earth by meteorite in 1969. Dr. Asseri studied the effects of isovaline as an analgesic in animal pain models and brain tissue, discovering its potential to decrease neural excitability and reduce pain. These findings demonstrate that isovaline may serve as a prototype of painkillers with minimal side effects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Borona investigated how communities can leverage Indigenous Knowledge to better protect their landscapes and livelihoods. She found that land, ecological restoration, and food production are the main avenues where this knowledge is applied. This research illuminates the role of community engagement in ensuring sustainable conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Rivers investigated school connectedness and problem substance use among street-involved youth in British Columbia. Results differed by gender and in the presence of known risk factors faced by youth. His research advances the understanding that increasing positive school connectedness could decrease levels of problem substance use. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | A quarter of the oxygen we breathe is produced by oceanic algae called diatoms. Using physiological and proteomic approaches, Dr. Hippmann identified the diverse response of diatoms to trace metal limitations. Her work highlights the importance of using a multi-facetted approach to increase our ability to predict population dynamics on a global scale. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Kan examined why babies that are born prematurely are more vulnerable to infections. His findings show that immune cells in these infants have reduced metabolic function and are unable to fully react to infections. These findings may eventually be used to develop treatments that prevent infections in these vulnerable babies | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Pernechele investigated the reactions between calcined clays and alkaline solutions to produce sustainable cement materials. His research provides understanding and guidelines to tailor the cement properties for various environmental applications, such as water purification and hazardous waste encapsulation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Peotto examined the origin of colonial policies of ethnic cleansing directed against indigenous peoples in British North America, from the 1630s to the 1880s. He also surveyed popular beliefs which excused or minimized mass killings of indigenous peoples, and recast bounty hunters and racist vigilantes as folk heroes. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Zhu studied the quantum behaviour of resonant energy transfer in light harvesting molecules. His research helps us understand the role of various types of environmental modes in biological processes. He also developed several theoretical techniques, which will increase our understanding of open quantum systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Flis examined the effectiveness of a computer-based reading program when implemented as an intervention tool to a group of grade 1 students who are at risk for reading failure, and a group of students who speak another language other than English. She found that early literacy intervention delivered by technology is a successful practice for both groups of students. | Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Lavigne identified distinct patterns of brain activity, and changes in functional brain networks over time, that underlie poor evidence integration and delusions in schizophrenia. Her work unites theoretical and empirical research on delusion maintenance in psychosis, and provides guidelines for cognitive treatments of schizophrenia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2018 | Macrophages and dendritic cells are types of white blood cells that are an integral part of our immune system. Dr. Dong investigated how CD44 and hyaluronan regulate macrophage and dendritic cell functions. These studies demonstrate how factors in the tissue environment help to maintain lung and alveolar health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Legare studied the many privacy concerns associated with using modern cloud services. He has developed novel application design methods to improve the privacy of user data. His methods allow for cloud services that offer verifiable guarantees that user data will, in the long term, remain available, confidential, or anonymous. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Cho studied composite nanofibers consisting of renewable materials from trees. This study showed the interaction between lignin and nanocellulose during the different heat treatment stages for carbon fiber production. Her study increases our understanding of using properties from renewable materials to replace petroleum-based carbon fibers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2018 | Immunotherapy represents a powerful and elegant method to harness the body's natural defence system to treat cancer. Dr. Halvorsen examined mechanisms to enhance the ability of the immune system to identify and eliminate cancer cells. Her work resulted in the discovery of a novel method to reduce the spread of cancer by increasing anti-tumour immunity using a drug repurposed from the HIV field. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2018 | In recent years, silicon photonics has become a key technology for enabling faster internet speeds, highly accurate sensing platforms, and high-performance computers. Dr. Jayatilleka's research demonstrated new techniques for controlling and stabilizing silicon photonics systems. He also developed some of the largest silicon photonics systems to date. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ryu studied how young children learn to play the piano by using a creative non-fictional form of storytelling. Her research illustrates the importance and value of piano teachers' pedagogical stories in the development of piano pedagogy for young children and piano teacher education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ritts studied listening, sound-making, and musical composition to map out the politics of industrial development on the North Coast of British Columbia. This work illustrates the complex attachments of place, and the deepening forms of technological mediation, that shape negotiations with a rapidly changing environmental geography. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Khadivinassab studied the effects of macrosegregation in solidification of aluminum alloy A356. This work resulted in an improved ability to predict final performance of a casting. This allows manufacturers to better control defects in order to improve product quality and reduce production costs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Watanabe studied the cell biology of cellulose synthesis in woody cells. He showed that plant cells tightly regulate the localization and movement of the enzymes responsible for cellulose synthesis during wood formation. His work lays the foundation for understanding how plants control the enzymes that produce cellulose at the cellular level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2018 | Drawing on Ted Aoki, Dr. Pletz explored young children's experiences of literacies, parents' perspectives and teachers' literacy instruction. Her study implicates pedagogical relations of listening across borders of home and school. This work contributes insight into early literacy pedagogy as shaped by children, teachers' values, and family life. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sohn studied representational politics of gendered linguistic nationalism in South Korea. She examined how foreign wives married to Korean men are expected to become Korean mothers and bilingual workers. Her research contributes to a more equitable and gender-sensitive bilingual policy and educational practices and will inform policy makers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |