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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dr. Charest's doctoral research investigated the ways in which children of different ages plan and produce sentences. Her research examined how the time needed to call up words from the lexicon affects the grammatical planning of young children. This is one of few existing studies to explore these processes in very young speakers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology and Speech Sciences (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wong studied the causes of cardiac dysfunction caused by the coxsackie virus. By examining the disease at the molecular level, he showed that the virus interferes with cardiac muscle protein production, which weakens the cardiac structure and contributes to its contractile dysfunction. This research reveals new approaches to treating viral heart disease. . | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Yong developed an assistive technology system for users who have difficulties using a standard computer keyboard and mouse. New algorithms were developed to remove noise in human brain signals and allow the system to adapt to changes in those brain signals. This system allows the users to control a computer with the eyes, and human intention. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wada explored how dual-income parents with young children conceive life balance, and identified two competing conceptions: managing life as being collective-needs based, and participating in a mix of occupations, which is based on the individual needs of the parents. Findings advance theories about life balance and social support that promote the health of parents and the family. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Meimetis's research was devoted to medicinal chemistry. He focussed on the synthesis of biologically-active, natural marine products taken from sponges. The findings from his work will contribute towards curing diseases of the blood and prostate cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Lisaingo studied telomeres, which are structures that protect the ends of chromosomes. She showed how a core telomere protein plays an important role in the resolution of telomeres during cell division. This study provides insight into the role of telomeres during cell division in stem cells and cancer cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Holtham developed geophysical methods to image the sub-surface of the earth. Measurements due to electomagnetic sources from lightning and solar events, were modelled to understand the physical properties of the earth. The research results can be used for resource exploration and environmental applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Xu developed novel and efficient statistical methods for extracting important features from massive amounts of data. His methods are widely applicable in contemporary scientific fields such as computational biology, internet applications, and finance. His fundamental research assists us to discover new knowledge hidden from the noisy world | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Bhuanantanondh developed a protocol for prescribing upper limb prostheses. This protocol can be used as a tool to objectively select the appropriate prosthesis for individuals with upper limb amputations. The prescription protocol may help to increase the acceptance of prostheses, and improve the quality of life of amputees. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Bendix identified the factors that encourage majority-party leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to seize control of bill development and, as a result, prevent the minority party from participating in deliberations. He also examined the policy consequences of this one-party control and demonstrated that it tends to produce substantively problematic legislation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Xiaojun Xie examined the roles of integrins in different types of glial cells in the fruitfly nervous system development. His studies expanded our knowledge on how glial development is regulated by enviornmental information and cooperates with neuronal development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Rosborough studied the relationship between language and Indigenization through stories of individuals engaged in Kwak'wala revitalization. Conducted through an Indigenous methodology, the research deepens understandings of Kwak'wala learning and finds that Indigenous language revitalization must take into account the impacts of colonization. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wicks developed a method to prepare new magnetic materials. Using this method, he prepared two different magnetic semiconducting systems. This work is important because it furthers our understanding of magnetic interactions. The technique and materials studied may be used in future electronic devices to overcome the current physical limits in computing speed. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Redlich investigates how Yoko Tawada's German literary texts can be read as politically charged cultural criticisms. In particular this research reveals how the unstable production and perception of 'race' is a central literary theme in nearly all of Tawada's literature. | Doctor of Philosophy in Germanic Studies (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. McMullin pioneered the use of nitric oxide gas against a wide range of germs, specifically demonstrating its ability to make the influenza virus less infectious. Dr. McMullin also demonstrated that nitric oxide gas can be safely administered to patients. His findings hold great promise in treating infectious diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Johnstone developed an approach for assessing the effectiveness of plans to reduce loss of life, in the event of extreme natural and technological hazards. The methods have been used to analyse dam failure in Europe and the United States, and to support tsunami emergency preparedness on Vancouver Island. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Teke developed new techniques for complex radiation therapy treatments. He used those techniques on total body irradiation, in particular. His work provided information on patient-specific organ dosage, and he identified key factors to improve this type of treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Hecht examined the evolution and roles of inclusive institutions and democratic status, or hierarchies based on democratic governance, in international organizations. Her work showed how these factors affect cooperation or discord among states, by analyzing democratic norm development and policy implementation in the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Zhang studied in depth an extremely diverse group of jumping spiders, the subfamily Euophryinae. She inferred its evolutionary history, clarified its taxonomy, and explored its biogeography and evolution of genital organs. Her work provides the foundation for further understanding the biodiversity and evolutionary processes of this spider lineage. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Mejia's research concerns probability theory and combinatorics, the mathematics of counting. She studied mathematical models of polymer molecules. Her work adds to the understanding of the shapes that these molecules can adopt. Her solution solves a fascinating mathematical open problem and can be extended to related combinatorial models. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Pettem conducted her research in the field of neuroscience. She characterized two new molecules that modify connections, or synapses, between brain cells. Her work sheds light on how synapses form in healthy brains and may also help us to better understand disorders like autism. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wong studied various problems in the field of number theory. His work sheds light on statistical properties of random matrices, and provides an explanation for certain patterns that had been empirically observed in the integers represented by a quadratic form. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Chan investigated the enzymes from which sugar molecules in bacterial cells are built. Using a special type of technique known as an NMR spectroscopy, he discovered that these enzymes are very flexible, which is crucial for their catalytic functions. Dr. Chan's research into how enzymes work will assist in developing drugs for treatment of gastro-intestinal diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Lal explored how youth recently diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder develop resilience, that is the capacity to cope with adversity. Her research showed that participants restore, maintain and enhance their resilience through the types of stories they tell in relation to their illness and the types of activities in which they engage. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Martinuk investigated several strategies for promoting students' use of their everyday knowledge in university physics class. He also showed that rigidly structured problem solving strategies fail to activate students' conceptual knowledge in the intended way. This research will inform development of improved techniques for teaching university-level physics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |