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 | NID |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dr. MacDonald studied the sources of variation in ecological communities, using the organisms found inside of tropical bromeliads. He found that communities of larger organisms are more easily predicted by the environment. Among these larger organisms, species were different in how well they avoided predators. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Kaurah's research forms the basis for the management of families susceptible to an inherited stomach cancer. Her results not only provide more precise risk figures to improve genetic counselling, but also demonstrate the importance of long-term symptom management. Both findings have influenced the care of families internationally. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Breau examined the role of primary care providers in recommending cancer screening to individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. She found that providers' attitudes towards people with Intellectual Disabilities, and their prior clinical experience, influenced whether they would recommend cancer screening to any given patient. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Farsaei studied photonics, the science of light. He developed techniques and methodologies that address several challenges of electro-optical simulation and modeling. His work has been implemented in industry-leading photonic tools found in various applications including telecommunications, entertainment and medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Goller studied visual control of hovering position in hummingbirds. His free-flight studies show that vision is important for maintaining a stationary position, even when most of the background is stationary or the hummingbird is docked at a feeder. These behavioural results support the idea that avian vision is specialized for flight style. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Gamu analyzed the politics behind mining companies' attempts to manage social conflicts in the Peruvian highlands. His research challenges the idea that corporate social responsibility initiatives are effective instruments for mitigating the inherently destabilizing effects of industrial mining in local communities in developing countries. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Harrower showed how the structure of temperate grassland food webs changed when ecosystems go from wet to dry. His experiments help us understand how climate change events, such as persistent drought, will impact grassland biodiversity and ultimately have an effect on human activities such as ranching. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Priegert developed new methods of affixing phosphorus-containing flame retardants to cellulosic substrates. This work could allow for the wider use of products derived from renewable sources such as wood, thereby decreasing society's reliance on petroleum-derived materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Palangi studied deep learning, a branch of machine learning focused on artificial neural networks. He examined methods for sequence modelling with applications in natural languages, web search engines and distributed compressive sensing. This work furthers our understanding of artificial intelligence and human language technologies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Ghasvareh investigated the effects of Cobalt particle size on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, a set of chemical reactions that convert a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas to liquid hydrocarbons. Her research broadened our knowledge about the stability of Cobalt catalysts and can be applied to synthesize catalysts with a longer lifetime. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Dominelli studied the sex-differences in the respiratory system and how they can influence the integrative response to exercise. He found that women, owing to their smaller airways, have a higher oxygen cost of breathing. He also showed that the higher work of breathing in women can have a greater influence on locomotor muscle fatigue. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Arora studied Sikh women living in the Widow Colony slum after the 1984 Sikh massacre in Delhi, India. She found that a city's spatial configuration impacts gender violence, and that violence has long-term effects on the body, memory, and kinship. She also examined how religious practices aid healing, and 1984's importance in the Sikh diaspora. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2017 | The integrity of our genetic material is maintained by cellular proteins that perform DNA repair. Dr. Fam's work illustrates a role for one such DNA repair protein - TDP1 - in the repair of mitochondrial DNA and as a target in cancer therapy. His work raises questions about the consequences of mitochondrial DNA mutation in human disease and shows the potential of TDP1 inhibition in targeted cancer therapy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Cowin analyzed federal and provincial government policy on both public and private post-secondary education in BC. His research centered on fair access for students, job preparation and marketization. His focus on long term trends across the entire post-secondary system will help policy makers better assess the cumulative implications of their decisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. McMillan looked at ways to improve 3D imaging of the Earth for natural resource detection and monitoring. He developed new techniques to detect thin metallic ore bodies buried in the ground from airborne electromagnetic data collected with helicopters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Reza Tafteh developed novel methods for three-dimensional super-resolution imaging; from cellular surface to interior. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Brown discovered how malnutrition can affect gut microbes, metabolites and the immune system in the intestine. He used this information to develop the first animal model of an inflammatory disease called environmental enteropathy, which will be used to screen new therapies for reversing malnutrition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Hyrina investigated the role of key regulators of host lipid metabolism, including microRNAs and proprotein convertases during hepatitis C and dengue virus infections. These studies provide new insights into the complex host-virus interactions, which may be utilized as targets for antiviral development as well as biomarkers of infection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Patterson challenged modern ideas of games by examining the social significance of parlour games as forms of cultural expression in medieval and early modern England and France. Her research shows the varied methods by which medieval players enjoyed playing games and how the idea of 'game' developed and changed over time. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2017 | Blood transfusions are an integral component of modern-day healthcare. Dr. Atkins developed an innovative analytical tool to non-invasively determine the quality of stored red blood cells without needing to compromise the sterility of the storage bag. His findings have implications for the management and use of donated blood in medical treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Mostafa innovatively proposed enhancing the secrecy of visible-light communication networks using physical-layer security techniques. He developed robust secure transmission schemes that take into account amplitude constraints and uncertainty in channel information. His work will help make next-generation communication networks more secure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Jaung studied certification of forest ecosystem services. His findings show the opportunities and challenges of applying certification to ecosystem services management. His work contributes to analyzing comprehensive management of forest resources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Trinh has characterized the penetrance of genetic mutations in Parkinson's disease. Her most significant work is the identification of dynamin 3 as a potential genetic modifier that delays the onset of Parkinson's. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Christian examined how Indigenous cultural knowledge informs production practices when making films for Fourth World/Indigenous Cinema. Her work highlights the connections between land, story, and cultural protocols. This work will be of interest to social, political, film theorists and policy/decision makers who intersect with Indigenous arts organizations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Chen validated the use of MRI based myelin imaging technique with electron microscopy. His work enhanced our understanding and interpretation of this technique in studying white matter damage following spinal cord injury. He also developed an accelerated version of this technique that has the potential to increase its clinical applicability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |