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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dr. Qiu studied the signaling pathways of the epidermal growth factor receptor in human ovarian cancer. She examined how the invasiveness and proliferation of the cancer cells are regulated by those pathways. Her findings advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the progression of ovarian cancer and inform prevention strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Alexandersen used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to discover and track outer Solar System asteroids. Through a careful observing strategy and detailed understanding of observational biases, he studied the size and number distributions of the various underlying sub-populations, properties that carry evidence of how the Solar System formed. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mohamed's doctoral studies focussed on development of inhibitors for the Rho-kinase enzyme. This enzyme plays an important role in the development of many diseases. Dr. Mohamed developed novel chemical inhibitors for the enzyme. His findings will aid in the design of new treatments for cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Prat completed his doctoral research at UBC in the field of Physics. During his program, the focus of his study was black holes in a cosmological context. He was able to demonstrate that black holes can merge with cosmological horizons, and that this merger has many intriguing mathematical properties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mustin investigated several research questions associated with the transport of particles in microfluidic devices. His work provides models that describe the effects of flow field and image filters on the measurement depth in micro particle image velocimetry. He shows that particle motion near walls is hindered by non-hydrodynamic effects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Nelsen studied the relationship between various factors and stakeholders, to understand their influence on mine development in BC between 1952 and 2014. Her research demonstrates that along with technical development risk, and environmental and land access issues, federal and provincial politics also play a significant role in BC mine development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Escalante Soberanis advanced the science of wind turbine deployment, for renewable energy production. He partnered with the global turbine manufacturer, Vestas, to develop new approaches to analyse wind data, for the study of wind variations. His results can lead to better control system strategies and enable reduced costs and increased efficiency. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Jenkins' research focuses on mental health and community-based intervention development. Her findings illuminate how context shapes mental health, and she has contributed to a framework to guide evidence-based action. This research aids in addressing a leading public health challenge through creation of context-relevant mental health interventions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2015 | In her research, Dr. Gies illuminated a unique and previously unrecognized microbial community that thrives in the dark, methane-saturated waters of Sakinaw Lake. Using cutting edge technologies she gained insight into their ability to produce methane, and unveiled an economic potential that could eventually lead to a more sustainable future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2015 | In order to address the impacts of climate change, international development institutions implement adaptation policies. Dr. Webber's research critically examined these attempts to adapt. She found prevailing approaches are insufficient for addressing climate impacts in the vulnerable Small Island Developing States of Kiribati and Solomon Islands. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Gunawardana's doctoral studies focused on discovering novel mutations that are frequent in B cell lymphoma, the cancer in blood cells. He found these gene mutations play an important role in the formation of these cancers. These findings will lead to the development of potential new drugs and better treatments for patients affected by lymphoma. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Conn studied the factors that helped or hindered police officers as they tried to maintain life roles outside of policing. Personal standards were the strongest helping factor and work hours were the strongest hindering factor as they sought to achieve balance. This research helps us understand the work-life balance practices of police officers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Dujakovic studied the development of the printing industry in France in the late 15th and early 16th century. Focusing on a specific series of illustrated books, she examined the complex transition from scribal to printing culture. Her research highlights the importance of the illustrated book in the artistic practices of the period. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Meyer performed a detailed analysis of the behavior of two large computer storage systems. He found that in many cases simple opportunities to increase performance and compress data have been passed over in favor of more complex and costly alternatives. The data in this work stands as the largest file system metadata study performed to date. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Slangen developed a new apparatus to investigate the soil erosion that is caused by water flowing in and around dams made of earth in British Columbia. The experimental findings yielded two distinct erosion phenomena that may occur within a dam and/or its foundation. Engineers need to consider both phenomena when assessing the safety of dams. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Kasahara completed his doctoral studies in the field of Chemistry. He developed a synthetic route towards an intermediate for a complex natural product. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mohareri completed his doctoral research in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He developed novel systems and methods to integrate advanced imaging for prostate cancer surgical procedures. He proved clinical usefulness of the methods by performing extensive clinical studies and showing improved visualization and surgical workflow. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ardila Garcia examined the diversity of fungal parasites, or Microsporidia, in the Northwest Pacific ocean. He discovered and characterized the first case of a microsporidian infection in a marine roundworm. This discovery led to novel insights into the co-evolution of host-parasite interactions between microsporidian parasites and roundworms. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Gonzalez developed and taught a sustainability leadership course. It was designed to fill a gap in higher education, by empowering students to develop the skills to mobilize purposeful change in today's complex world. His analysis of outcomes suggest a need for more courses and programs that integrate practical and embodied leadership skills. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Lindstrom worked on predicting the operation of a magnetized target fusion reactor, a design for clean energy that crushes a plasma in an imploding shell of molten metal. By writing a program to simulate the system, and a careful series of pencil-and-paper estimates, he inferred key features of the device and ways to improve its efficiency. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Milton studied the geology of the copper deposits of the Mackenzie Mountains, in the Northwest Territories. He discovered that the copper was concentrated by the convection of hot, salty fluids, long after the sedimentary host-rocks were formed. His research will aid explorers and prospectors in their search for Earth's copper resources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Xue studied the mechanism used to insert micronized copper into wood treated with anti-fungal preservatives. She showed that the formation of Cu-wood complexes is controlled by the available acidic protons in wood. The findings will be used to evaluate the treatment under the influence of environmental factors such as soil contact and fungal attack. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Smessaert studied computional models of polymer glasses with the goal to better understand plastics and related materials. He illuminated microscopic processes that link mechanical activity to weak points in the molecular structure. The results provide new insights that assist the development of a theory of plasticity for non-crystalline solids. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ibrahim studied the development of pre-leukemia disorders at the BC Cancer Research Centre. Her work has led to a better understanding of how malignant cells interact with normal components of the bone marrow. She has identified important signaling pathways that can be therapeutically targeted in the fight against blood cancers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Karimfazli studied the buoyancy-driven flow of non-Newtonian fluids. Her research provides insight into various peculiarities of these flows, such as simultaneous development of solid-like and fluid-like features. Her thesis paves the way to understanding various industrial and natural processes ranging from cementing to mantle convection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |