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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dr. MacPhail-Bartley used laser fields to control the speed and direction of molecular rotation of molecules embedded in superfluid helium. By controlling this rotational energy, we are able to investigate how this energy is dissipated by the liquid helium. This moves us forward towards developing a microscopic understanding of the nature of superfluidity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Cho investigated the evolutionary history of a group of eukaryotes called stramenopiles, by describing new species, morphologies, genomic relationships, symbionts, and distribution. These studies resolved previously contentious or unknown relationships among stramenopiles advancing our understanding of their complex evolutionary history. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Negri focused on nineteenth-century European art music and how keys relate to one another within and across a "tonal superstructure”—a construct that arranges and ranks the keys of a piece hierarchically and groups key successions in ways that may support interpretations regarding musical continuity, process, goal orientation, and closure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Music, Emphasis Theory (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Yousefi Darestani developed an intelligent ureteral stent for wireless kidney pressure monitoring, enabling early detection of hydronephrosis. He successfully tested his device on an ex vivo swine kidney-ureter model, confirming its effectiveness and potential to advance diagnostics and therapy in urology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Wang investigated the effect of DNA-PK inhibition when combined with Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy for solid tumor treatment. His findings revealed DNA-PK as a therapeutic target to enhance the potency of conventional cancer therapies and suggested a selective tumor-targeting strategy is needed to exploit the full potential of DNA-PK inhibitors. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Henriquez examined the dentition of adult leopard geckos, which continuously replace their teeth throughout life. He found dental stem cells in the dentition of leopard geckos and cells responsible for resorbing the tooth roots so teeth can be shed. These experiments could be used to selectively block unwanted tooth resorption and engineer biological tooth replacements in humans. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Nearly 85% of the universe's matter is dark matter of unknown composition. Dr. Pradeep led the characterization of ultra-sensitive dark matter detectors and developed tools based on machine learning to enhance their resolution. Her work will empower the search for a rare phenomenon - the scattering of dark matter particles from atomic targets. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Waldhauser examined the transition from military to civilian life, and the role of physical activity in supporting veterans' health and well-being after release from service. These studies contribute to a greater understanding of factors related to adjustment after transition and have the potential to inform future programming for veterans. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Campbell explored the impact of prenatal antidepressants on the developing brain. Her research uncovered new insight into how fetal drug exposure and early brain connectivity may underlie social-emotional behaviours in children of depressed mothers. This work may help guide clinical care on optimizing perinatal mental health and child development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Biln examined the effectiveness of a patient-completed questionnaire to help direct and prioritize arthritis patient referrals. Based on the questionnaire's performance, and patient and rheumatologist feedback, its integration into the healthcare system may shorten patient time to treatment, improve their quality of life, and reduce disability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2024 | Keeping balance is challenging for older adults and those with brain injuries. However, the neural mechanisms behind such deficits remain unclear. Dr. Qiao improved balance tests by upgrading a balance robot to enable side-to-side motions and cerebellar activity measurements. These advancements could enhance balance assessments and rehabilitations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Li and collaborators analyzed the DNA mutational patterns in two types of B cell lymphomas and found mutations that alter distinct biological signaling pathways. His findings may help guide future treatment strategies to improve lymphoma patient care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Oppedisano used the awesome power of yeast genetics to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving the function of an attractive anti-cancer target called MUS81. His research led to the discovery of compounds that effectively and specifically target MUS81. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Garen investigated the effects of temperature on plant carbon metabolism and water use. His work identified a key role for thermal acclimation in controlling plant growth, and he developed improved methods of measuring leaf physiological rates. His work helped to advance fundamental ecological theory and inform global modelling efforts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Peters' research quantified key factors that impact the effectiveness of environmental regulations in the maritime shipping and agricultural sectors. His work highlights the importance of accounting for the complex interactions between firm behaviour, technology, and markets when developing environmental policy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Kobelev studied how epigenetic changes contribute to treatment resistance in late stage prostate cancer. He identified that prostate cancer is epigenetically predisposed to switch its identity to resist treatment, and identified novel factors regulating this process. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Khalifa developed new kinds of superconducting quantum devices. Due to their versatility, these devices can enable the development of new quantum technologies for computing and sensing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Lin applied novel visualization techniques to profile oral premalignant lesions and address existing uncertainties regarding inflammation in the early stages of malignant transformation and how this translates to oral cancer risk. | Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Science (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Pinilla developed new theory and practices for the algorithms and tools necessary to bring quantum computing to a utility scale. His contributions improve the utilization of resources in quantum annealers, which translates into better quality solutions for optimization and quantum-assisted machine learning applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Pokhrel studied the role of geothermal energy for global decarbonization potential. He developed numerical models to understand the physical behavior of complex subsurface reservoirs for extracting geothermal energy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Health monitoring is essential to enable timely and appropriate care for newborns. However, this is limited in low-to-middle-income countries due to insufficient resources and health staff. Dr. Grooby examined accessible newborn health monitoring. He developed software to monitor heart and lung health using digital stethoscopes and video cameras. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Stephan directed stem cells into liver and studied how the cells changed their identity. She found a specific protein in newly forming liver cells, TBX3, that may be responsible for pushing cells towards using liver genes. Knowing how cells turn into liver cells can be used to produce lab-grown livers replacing conventional organ transplants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Ha investigated the impact of elevated carbon dioxide on plant-insect interactions across multiple insect species. His work narrowed knowledge gaps on how different insect species respond to feeding on CO2-enriched host plants, and contributed towards gaining a deeper understanding of how plant-insect interactions can change in the near future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Zhang studied waxes sealing plant surfaces. She found whitish appearance of leaves to wax nanocrystals formed by characteristic wax compounds, and her analysis revealed the mechanisms underlying the formation of these compounds. This research will inform the breeding of drought-resilient crops and engineering waterproof compounds. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Rees developed and characterized dextran-coated nanoparticles and nanoparticle assemblies for bioanalytical applications such as the specific labelling of cancer cells. These materials were very brightly fluorescent, stable, non-fouling, and will help enable point-of-care diagnostic technology that will make molecular medicine more accessible. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |