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. Roberts studied intestinal inflammation and the role of a protein called Lyn, which is important in the immune system. She identified Lyn as a regulator of host-microbial interactions in the gut, which ultimately dictate intestinal health and disease. This work contributes to a growing field in immunology which targets inflammatory bowel disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ruby completed her doctoral studies in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She focussed on scheduling and resource allocation, which are important tasks in the radio resource management layer in wireless communication systems known as LTE. She proposed three uplink scheduling and resource allocation schemes for LTE-Advanced systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mirshokraie's doctoral studies focused on automated testing of web applications. The evaluation results point to the effectiveness of the proposed techniques in terms of accuracy and error detection capability. Her automated testing methods reduce the tester's time and manual effort, while increasing the reliability of web applications | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Berndt showed how the specialized functions of brain neurons are controlled by signals from targets that the neurons contact. He defined how these signals are interpreted at regulatory regions of DNA. His work contributes to our understanding of brain development, and describes processes that are disrupted in degenerative neurological diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Moody examined nurses' practice of judging the cognitive functions of older people in hospital. She found nurses make complex judgments based on interactions with patients, shared nursing knowledge, and social norms related to documentation systems. The research highlights the invisibility of nurses' knowledge, and points to ways to improve care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Aguilar constructed computer simulations to model the behaviour of a gas which is at the brink of gravitational collapse. One of his goals was to analyze previously unexplored rotational effects on this critically collapsing gas. This work helps elucidate the formation and properties of exotic astrophysical objects commonly known as black holes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Slogan examined engineered fish habitat in Vancouver harbour, while developing a tool for managers. Results show how infrastructure affects light and current patterns thereby altering seaweed and invertebrate presence, while the effectiveness of microhabitats varies with tidal height. These findings will improve future design and feasibility. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Kushlev examined the psychological consequences of living in a connected wireless world. He showed that smartphones might prevent people from reaping the benefits from their daily social interactions. His findings highlight the importance of developing portable digital devices designed to support our in-person social interactions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Banitalebi explored the ways in which the quality of 3D video is assessed. He designed quality metrics and visual attention models for 3D video. His work can help camera and display manufactures and network providers determine 3D capturing parameters, improve 3D playback perceptual quality, and ensure Quality of Service during transmission. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mathes studied European Romantic literature and culture, and the history of aesthetics and feeling. She investigated disappointment as an aesthetic category in poetry and prose. Using affect theory, she explored the historically-specific relationships between Romantic writers, their writings, and the world in which these writings were produced. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Fayyazi studied the way in which structures that have deep foundations, such as bridges and high-rise buildings, push against the soil when horizontal pressure from earthquakes or other forces exist. His research covered a wide range of foundations for which limited data exist. His findings contribute to safer and more reliable foundation designs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Hubregtse examined the architecture and artworks in international airports. His concept "aero-kinaesthetics" considers the air terminal's aesthetics in terms of its capacity to order and affect passenger movement. His research offers a new understanding of how air terminal design contributes to the operation of international airports. | Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Wu developed mathematical models to investigate cell responses to external forces. He applied mathematical principles to govern biophysical dynamics and chemical kinetics of the cells. His models help to reveal the mechanisms by which the cells can adapt to complicated environments, as well as protect themselves from external perturbations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Triscott's doctoral studies focused on the development of new methods to improve the treatment of high-grade brain tumors. Her work resulted in the identification of molecular targets that drive tumor formation. This work highlights the potential for repurposing clinically available drugs to prevent the growth of aggressive brain tumors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Marine ecosystems have been altered over millennia, but ecological data are typically only reported every ten years. Dr. Al-Abdulrazzak developed methods to integrate diverse data types, such as anecdotal evidence and satellite imagery. She used these methods to quantify changes in the distribution and abundance of marine species in the Persian Gulf. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Yu studied econometric models that may have multiple equilibria. He developed an approach to detect multiplicity of equilibria directly from observed variables. His study advanced our understanding of the relationship between the equilibrium behaviour and distribution patterns of data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ouellet developed a powerful technology that allows scientists to rapidly discover new drugs called aptamers, which are made from short sequences of genetic material. He found that, by applying this technology, new treatments for macular degeneration could be identified. This is now being studied by researchers at UBC's Centre for Blood Research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Petersen examined psycho-social, clinical, and risk profiles of severely mentally ill individuals who were relocated as a result of the closure of BC's Riverview Hospital. Longitudinal data demonstrated positive changes in quality of life and independent living skills. In addition, there was no evidence that individuals in this study became homeless. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Yao completed her doctoral program in Experimental Medicine. She studied how cellular stress signals modulate the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune responses. These comprehensive studies showed for the first time that a subtype of CD4 regulatory cells, named Tr1 cells can inhibit responses to cellular stress signals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dopamine is a chemical in the human brain that is important for decision making. Dr. Pitman investigated how dopamine is regulated and what impact obesity has. She found that the mechanisms responsible for reducing dopamine release were not affected by obesity. Her work contributes to understanding how obesity can alter the decisions that we make. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Zhang studied the function of blood cells, called macrophage, in the context of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart attacks. When macrophages had low activity of the eEF2K enzyme, there was less disease development. His results could one day lead to development of new drugs to block this enzyme, which could reduce heart attacks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ti studied the healthcare of illicit drug users in hospital settings. She found that hospitals can act as an environment that increases the risk of negative health outcomes among this population. Her research has important public health implications as it points to the need for harm reduction programs to be integrated in hospitals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Stouffer examined Reading Recovery training, an early literacy intervention. He investigated whether that training could be transferred into the literacy instruction in Canadian primary classrooms. This research adds to discussion of teacher preparation and professional development, and those teachers' personal theories of literacy instruction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Thompson studied methods used to estimate parameters and approximate the behaviour of time-dependent random processes. He used a new parameter estimator on wind velocity data and derived approximations for infinite-variance processes inspired by climate research. These results will aid scientists in modelling complex aspects of climate. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Since school gardens are once again growing in school grounds across North America, Dr. Ostertag decided to grow a garden here at UBC as an arts-based research project to understand what it means to teach with a garden. In the company of plants and people, she engaged with the difficult history of school gardens and their pedagogical possibilities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |