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. Haggarty evaluated British Columbia's Rockfish Conservation Areas using visual surveys and spatial modeling. She found little evidence of fish population recovery. Her analysis highlights the need for continued monitoring and showed that recreational non-compliance may be hampering the effectiveness of conservation areas and impeding rockfish recovery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mang demonstrated that performing a single bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise prior to practice of a novel movement skill, can enhance the learning of that skill. He examined the underlying neural substrates of these effects, the aspects of motor learning impacted, and the influence of genetic and epigenetic variation on the exercise response. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Arntzen studied the use of digital technologies in teacher education. She developed a theory to explain the relationship between instructional discourse and teacher candidates' development of imaginative capacity with digital technologies. This theory will be used to help inform the integration of digital technology into teacher education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Tennant examined the role of a specific protein called Myt3 in the context of pancreas development and diabetes. His work identified this protein as a novel regulator of cell survival in the cells responsible for controlling blood glucose. His research points to Myt3 as a potential therapeutic target for improving the lives of diabetic patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Lin studied the diffusion of atoms in silicon materials. His research not only quantified the mutual impacts of different chemical elements, but also demonstrated a new methodology to investigate the diffusion mechanism. This work advances our understanding of the movement of atoms and improves high speed applications like cell phones. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Janmohamed's research involved examining the nutritional effects of a prenatal dietary supplement among women in rural Cambodia. The product she investigated is commonly used in global food aid programs by the United Nations. Her study is the first to evaluate the product's ability to improve health outcomes for mothers and their newborns. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Wu studied in depth the transceiver optimization problem for modern broadband cooperative wireless communication networks. His research outcomes provide important physical insights and valuable guidelines for the design of practical cooperative wireless systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Sharma investigated how a group of anti-HIV drugs may cause therapy failure or toxicity. His results linked these drugs with certain proteins that control drug elimination processes in humans. Along with offering a rational basis for selection of anti-HIV therapy, his data provide novel therapeutic prospects for these drugs in other diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Macedo developed novel mathematical tools and numerical algorithms for the solution of optimizing problems arising in scientific imaging. His work outlines a nonstandard theoretical approach to such problems as well as a concrete computational realization capable of solving large scale instances in practical scenarios. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Ji studied reasons for the preventive shift in Chinese criminal law. She claimed that the rise of risk control through criminal justice methods was a state response to uncertainties generated by reforms. Her research not only promotes Chinese socio-legal study, but also makes contributions to international comparative study of criminal law. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2016 | The emergence of personalized medicine, due to advances in genomics and proteomics, has created a clinical demand for increasingly specific diagnostic testing. Dr. Lund developed and validated 2 such tests, aimed at specific forms of both leukemia and lung cancer. This unique approach has the potential to directly impact cancer diagnostics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Why do some communities avoid armed conflict even when facing a significant threat? By studying the 20-year confrontation over coca in the Chapare region of Bolivia, Dr. Prest found that communities that resolve internal challenges collectively and inclusively seek out non-violent ways to resolve conflicts with other groups, including the state. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Wainwright studied the hormonal and cellular underpinnings of depression. He demonstrated that altering the production and the interactions of neurons in the brain changes the likelihood to develop depression and the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs. These findings provide insights into the pathology and treatment of depression. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Huisman's research focused on tendon degeneration. Specifically she examined the role of the protein MMP2 in response to tendons being mechanically stimulated and demonstrated that MMP2 plays a key role in the degenerative effects of tendons. This knowledge will aid in our understanding of tendon degeneration and in the treatment for tendon health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Harandi developed a framework for 3D, subject-specific bio-mechanical modeling and simulation of the oro-pharyngeal structures, based on medical images. Using this framework, she was able to measure and quantify inter-speaker variability in the muscle-activation patterns responsible for production of the /s/ sound. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Garside examined the role of the transcription factor SOX9 during mouse embryonic heart valve development using a number of genomic approaches. Through her analyses of genome-wide datasets on embryonic valves, she discovered that SOX9 plays a key role in regulating a critical network of transcription factors essential for heart valve formation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Akbarian's research examined the fundamental aspects of the general theory of relativity. He used computational resources to solve Einstein's equation in black hole formation scenarios and found new solutions that contribute to a better understanding of the theory of gravity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Melashvili studied the leaching of gold with thiosulphate that had been generated by the simultaneous oxidation of pyrite. She derives an equation predicting thiosulphate yield based on a conceptual model for the progress of a series of reactions. Her findings offer an interesting possibility for process development in the gold sector. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Tam investigated why women may be more susceptible to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. His research findings indicate that female sex hormones are associated with increased airway tissue scarring and decreased antioxidant response to cigarette smoke. This work highlights several targets that may advance current drug treatment efficacy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Crover studied the cultural history of the early modern Thames through plays, frost fairs, chronicle histories, and civic records. Her work revealed that the Thames shaped the construction of English national identity as much as desires for cultural dominance shaped English notions of the Thames. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Knuhtsen worked on an interdisciplinary project within the fields of peptide chemistry and epigenetics. Based on a lead a library of peptides were synthesized which was used to identify an inhibitor of the enzyme family Protein Arginine Methyl Transferases. This inhibitor was subsequently characterized further. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mason studied school-aged children's speech in long words, that may impact learning to read. Her results indicated that children with a history of speech therapy had difficulty with multi-syllabic words even though they were able to pronounce short words. Her work also contributed a clinical measure for assessing speech in long words. | Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology and Speech Sciences (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Mahmoodi focused on the development of an inhibitor of an enzyme that plays an important role in the modification of certain proteins. This modification has been shown to relate to cancer processes in the cell. Her results may help in the development of a new class of anti-cancer drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Lim studied gene and microRNA expressions in cancer. She discovered patterns that are associated with cancer development & treatment resistance. Her results can be used towards the design of diagnostic tests to identify patients who are unlikely to respond to standard therapy and may be better served with more aggressive & experimental therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Chung identified genes, which function in the repair and the recombination of DNA by studying the roundworm. He demonstrated that a reduced number of DNA breaks influences the overall outcome of recombination. His findings illuminate an important step in the re-shuffling of genetic material that occurs naturally in organisms from fungi to humans. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |