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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dr. Hosking's doctoral studies focussed on decision making: why some individuals choose differently from others, and the neuro-biology underlying those differences. His research revealed brain regions and neuro-chemistry responsible for our "worker" or "slacker" preferences, and suggests that therapeutic interventions will not be one-size-fits-all. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Bhathal studied the history and status of marine fisheries in India. She reconstructed fishing catch and effort and revealed, using bio-economic models, that the operation of Indian fisheries is not sustainable. Her work sheds light on an overlooked problem and suggests policy options to safeguard the resources and increase efficiency of fisheries. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Okbinoglu studied the electronic structure of molecules known as sulfona-mides. She examined the ways in which changes to their structure affect the way the molecules react and function. This research helps to further our understanding of molecular structure, and aids in designing more effective sulfona-mide based drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Poon studied the generation of new brain cells in the adult brain. She discovered genes that modify how frequently adult stem cells in the brain divide to give rise to new brain cells. These genes may be targeted to promote stem cell division and combat cell loss in brains that are injured, or suffering from neuro-degenerative diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Ahmed's research focussed on the advancement of wireless communications. He developed energy efficient algorithms for systems that harvest renewable energy from the environment, and work in harsh and noisy atmospheres. His research findings will help in manufacturing wireless devices that can communicate without having a dedicated power supply. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Vazifeh developed simple theoretical models to explain interesting electronic phenomena in solids. He was also part of an effort among theoretical physicists to find a simple platform for experimentalists to discover Majorana fermions, an electronic state which can be used in future quantum computing devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Cheng created a microarray of tissue samples taken from over 700 patients being treated for melanoma in Vancouver, from 2009 to 2012. Using this platform, he identified biomarkers that can predict patient survival and help clinicians to design personalized treatment. Dr. Cheng's research opened new horizons in the management of human melanomas. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Hou studied the characteristics of cyclotron-produced radio-isotopes for medical imaging. In the wake of the world shortage of the most commonly used radio-isotope, technetium-99m, she validated the use of an alternative production strategy. Her research provides a significant contribution to the field of medical imaging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Malek studied composite materials and structures which are made by combining conventional materials such as metals, polymers and ceramics. He developed a framework for simulating the response of composite structures under different loads. The framework can be used to design composite materials for a new generation of buildings and aircraft. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Ristea developed a novel framework to investigate the greenhouse gas footprint of wood ethanol as compared with gasoline. He found that the dynamics of biogenic carbon could greatly affect the results of life cycle analyses. Dr. Ristea showed that displacing gasoline with wood ethanol is not always a viable strategy for climate mitigation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Leclerc-Gagne examined how concern for the security of humanitarian workers has emerged and evolved over time. Understanding how this concern developed is essential, because the notion of humanitarian workers as inviolate actors is widely taken for granted. It is also revealing of the dynamics and power relations in world politics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Wu interviewed survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The research showed that the survivors' memories of home-making can contribute to the creation of a sense of home in their new communities. This suggests that urban designers should use the memories of survivors to enhance the quality of post-disaster reconstruction and recovery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Crane designed and developed new porous solids for the purpose of storing hydrogen gas. Her innovative approach led to numerous crystalline materials with unique structures and properties. The design principles she unraveled may be applied to improve hydrogen storage in fuel cell automobiles. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | The Arctic is one of the most threatened environments because of rapid climate change. Dr. Chenard's work examined viruses infecting polar bacteria in Arctic freshwater regions, and she discovered previously unknown groups of viruses. Her work provides new tools to study the diversity of these viruses and their effects on polar bacteria. | Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Pancaroglu conducted research into how we recognize faces. Her study showed that patients with particular types of brain lesions, who are unable to recognize familiar faces, have specific problems in identifying the eye region. These findings will help therapists to design rehabilitation strategies for face-blind people. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Afsham developed different algorithms for tracking 2D ultrasound images to construct a 3D volume. The study was performed on different subjects for prostate biopsy and spinal epidural needle insertion. The reconstructed 3D volume will help radiologists and clinicians with faster and more accurate diagnoses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Gao investigated ways in which to remove the latency, or fibre curl, from processed wood fibres, in order to strengthen the resulting pulp. He developed a model which characterizes the process of latency removal and also predicts the change in pulp properties. This model offers an energy reduction solution for latency removal in pulp mills. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. LaSalle studied the history, community and landscape of Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Vancouver. She demonstrated how "nature" in the park is manufactured to forget colonial violence and to feel better about ongoing environmental devastation. Pacific Spirit is thus a site of ideology, ultimately hindering resistance to industrial capitalism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Zhou suggests that the number of siblings in a Chinese family could affect the household's savings rate. She concludes that the One-child Policy raised aggregate savings rates. She also found that the policy of sending youth to do hard labour during the Chinese Cultural Revolution significantly affected their education, income, and happiness. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Hui studied the behaviour of pyrimidines, building blocks of DNA and RNA, when grafted onto large and rigid cyclic molecules. He discovered that these attached building blocks spontaneously assembled into well-defined superstructures. This research demonstrates that such motifs might play a larger role in directing overall nucleic acid topology than previously thought. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Herba studied people's judgments of contamination spread. She found that contaminants are generally judged to spread further than non-contaminants, regardless of threat, but found differences across populations studied. Her research adds to our understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder and infection control procedures in medical settings. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Anvari completed his study in the field of Chemical and Biological Engineering. He developed new industrial models for paste extrusion, in particular PTFE paste extrusion. His research provides a better understanding of the extrusion process, with the goal of enhancing the quality of final manufactured products. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Murakami studied whether voter behaviour in elections is influenced if candidates come from ethnic minority backgrounds, and if so why, and to what extent. Using experimental and election data from Japan and Canada, he showed that ethnicity does affect voting, but suggested that the effect is conditional on the political orientation of voters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Crawford developed new techniques to measure and map emissions and absorption of carbon dioxide in urban neighborhoods. These measurements also revealed dynamic spatial patterns of carbon dioxide in the urban atmosphere. Findings from this work have implications for urban planning, air quality, and sustainable growth. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Ray's study lays the pathway into understanding infinite hyperbolic random surfaces. Hyperbolic surface can be thought of as a surface which is shaped like a saddle. These results complement the random surfaces built before which serve as important models of 2D quantum gravity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |