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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dr. Busta studied the structures and biosynthesis of the wax compounds that cover plant surfaces. He found that wax coverings vary greatly between plant species, plant organs, and even plant cell types. His findings suggest that wax biosynthesis plays a significant role in optimizing each plant surface for its distinct local environmental condition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Hobenshield explored the Indigenous practice of gift giving. Her research identified specific Indigenous principles embedded within this tradition that inform a particular way of knowing. This information can be used to support the work of Indigenization in post-secondary education. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Narcisse examined the outstanding land issue in British Columbia from the indigenous perspective. She found that while the circumstances of colonialism were prevalent, the oral history about the inherent indigenous land ownership has remained consistent over several generations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Li studied how international trade affects human capital accumulation and consequently alters regional comparative advantage and industry specialization. Using the data from China, she found that export expansion between 1990-2005 led to a regional divergence in educational attainment, and such amplified differences across regions reinforce the initial industry specialization pattern. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Christian studied how changes in the extracellular matrix regulate the expression of genes that are linked to cancer progression. She showed that two focal adhesion proteins, FAK and talin, are important for these gene expression changes. Her work could contribute to the development of new drugs for treating cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Laursen studied how people historically experience and make knowledge about elusive phenomena. Focusing on twentieth-century British and American poltergeist cases, he found that research best advanced through active collaborations of those who experienced the phenomenon. His work contributes new directions to studying the boundaries of knowledge. | Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Fok developed a new circuit model to simulate the behaviour of lithium ion batteries. He applied this model to predict the performance of commercial batteries when used in static and dynamic loading conditions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Furey studied the migration of juvenile sockeye salmon as they swim downstream to open ocean. His research identified specific infections that increase mortality during the migration. He also found that higher density and specific routes impacted migratory success. His work furthers our understanding of salmon migration, management and conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | In her work, Dr. Girling investigated novel, preventative, therapeutic mechanisms for Huntington's Disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disease. By designing and testing small peptide drugs, Dr. Girling worked on three potential drug targets to prevent or delay cell death in Huntington's Disease brains. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Ouellet examines the history of Metis families evicted from Jasper National Park. He illustrates how these families are linked to the wider discourse concerning Metis rights and identity. This research highlights the diversity in Metis identity and outlines a way forward in truth telling and reconciliation between Parks Canada and Metis groups. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2016 | Public places, like coffee shops, where we come together to socialize are known as "Third Places". Dr. Calderon introduced the concept of Third-placeness to articulate how the social, public and physical aspects of these experiences can be supported by digital technology across time and space. His research challenges the conventional understanding of Third Places. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Rozmus discovered new inherited immunodeficiencies. He also showed how these discoveries lead to successful clinical interventions and provided insights into the normal function of the immune system and disease mechanisms. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Khoshaman devised models to better understand a promising class of solar cells called nanostructured thermionic converters. These devices have the potential to be more efficient than current solar cells. His theoretical and experimental contributions can help overcome some of the long-lasting issues in the field of solar energy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Hao developed a regulatory model for corporate social responsibility reporting to address the current reporting-performance inconsistency in Canada. Her research advances the regulatory theory of New Governance, and informs policymaking in Canada and other countries in terms of constructing a contextual-based regulatory regime of corporate social responsibility reporting. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Gustafson applied mechanical engineering to investigate bone properties. She used digital image correlation to measure the displacement on the surface of human vertebral bones. Her research improves our understanding of vertebral mechanics, which is useful for evaluating patients at risk for vertebral fracture and reducing spinal fractures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mohammad has further developed a methodology to efficiently sort particle suspensions. His work was mostly theoretical in which he studied the layering of visco-plastic fluids in spiral pressure-driven flow. He demonstrated the conditions in which this process will work and the information will now be used by another PhD work to test this concept. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Plants possess complex immune systems to combat pathogens. Dr. Huang uncovered novel components of a protein degradation complex. He examined their roles in the regulation of immune receptor homeostasis. His research highlights the importance of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway in fine tuning immune responses in plants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Meng studied caveolin-1, a cell surface protein associated with cancer. Dr. Meng identified multiple mechanisms that impact how caveolin-1 regulates cancer cell adhesion and migration. This is important for understanding how caveolin-1 promotes cancer and potentially for how it can be targeted for cancer therapy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Zielke used computer simulations to study how water freezes in the atmosphere with the help of airborne particles. These simulations helped explain the microscopic process of how certain airborne particles organize water into ice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Fenig studied the provision of public goods in our economic system. He designed experiments that investigated the role of rewards in facilitating coordination of contributors. He identified both altruistic and competitive participants. His study advances our understanding of human behaviour in an economic context and his results will help inform economic policy and practice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Reilly developed a unique approach to photocatalytic water splitting - a valuable means for storing solar energy. He demonstrated a remarkable 44% increase in efficiency and derived a mathematical model for predicting performance. His work opens a new doorway for clean energy, impacting both the economic viability and design of future systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Lam studied evolutionary changes that occur in genomes of plants that steal nutrients from fungi. She found that genes are lost from their genomes in a predictable manner, leading to genome compaction and restructuring. Her work provides new insights into how plants can survive without photosynthesis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. McAndrews investigated whether Americans draw sophisticated inferences about the legislative performance of their elected officials, and why Canadian MPs bother to debate bills when the government ultimately controls the decision-making. His research sheds new light on the competence of citizens and the motivations of those who represent them. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Stortz aided in the design of a high-resolution pre-clinical Positron Emission Tomography scanner with the ability to function inside of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The design of the PET scanner was informed by his computer simulations and detector hardware characterization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Saferali investigated the inflammatory response to infection in cystic fibrosis, with a focus on the PLUNC genes as modifiers of lung disease severity. These studies identified SPLUNC1 as being beneficial to lung function in CF. This molecule is currently under development as a novel CF therapeutic. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |