Doctoral Citations

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
2022 Dr. Ortiz examines the role of the magazines in the early twentieth-century intellectual and cultural fields of the Andes. He analyzes how magazines become a dispositif that operates in-between the aesthetic and political ideologies discussed and disputed in the interplay of avant-garde movements, political revolutions, and social transformations. Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. Yazdani developed three sets of new infection-resistant coatings with outstanding performance for medical devices such as urinary catheters that combat infections associated with device implantation/surgery over the long-term. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Topp explored the intersections between virtual reality technology and music composition and performance. His research resulted in the development of Virtual Reality - Open Sound Control, an open platform for networking virtual reality interactions with modern music creation tools. Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition (DMA)
2022 Dr. Mansouri studied the mechanical behaviour of candid aluminum alloys to replace steel in the automotive industry. He studied the effect of fabrication parameters on material performance. These findings contribute to making better models to further increase the safety of passengers in a crash scenario while saving on vehicle weight. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Stone demonstrates the nature of gentrification as a disaster for low-income communities, and how Hurricane Katrina cascaded into a subsequent disaster of gentrification for the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. The dissertation includes a co-produced advocacy film to support voting for anti-gentrification candidates in New Orleans. Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD)
2022 Ice nucleating substances can initiate ice formations in clouds and affect the properties of clouds and climate. Dr. Xi studied ice nucleating substances sourced from high latitude regions, including biological materials and mineral dust. Her work contributes to our understanding of climate and climate feedback in high latitude regions. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Alonzo studied the interactions between geographic mobility and marriage markets. He showed that marriage increases the concentration of workers in high-productivity areas by affecting their migration patterns. His research highlights the role of families in shaping the geography of economic activity. Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Caballero measured how much lysine children use when they eat different plant-based foods, such as rice, oats and corn. Her work will help develop dietary guidelines for children that consume a predominantly plant-based diet. These guidelines will ensure they meet their lysine requirement, which is important for adequate growth and development. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2022 Can the harvest of soft shell crab be prevented? The fact that they moult at all the same time suggests that they can. Nonetheless, Dr. Greenberg developed a set of mathematical models fit to weekly catch and effort data that allowed for the simulation of different rules to avoid harvesting soft-shell Dungeness crab in Area A of the Hecate Strait. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceans and Fisheries (PhD)
2022 Dr. Robb investigated the impacts of decarbonization on Canada's physical and cultural landscapes. His research developed new place-based methods to visualize, design, and evaluate potential pathways toward Canada's post-carbon future. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2022 Dr. Soni explored the mechanism of heterogeneous ice nucleation by molecular simulations and machine learning. To analyze surface water structure, he introduced a two-dimensional lattice perspective of ice. He found that the microscopic surface features and local water properties near the surface are important factors influencing ice nucleation. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Alamri studied synaptic proteins in the brain samples of older people. She found that higher amounts of specialized proteins contributed to better memory and lowered the risk of depression. Her findings demonstrated that synaptic proteins could serve as targets for developing treatments for disorders that affect the brain in old age. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Provost's research evaluated the BC Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum for healthcare workers, aimed to reduce violence from patients and visitors. Her use of an innovative, realist approach resulted in valuable evidence and practical recommendations for healthcare leaders on how to best support the curriculum to be learned and applied. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. Chudnow examined the effectiveness of prospective management regulations to conserve bull trout in central British Columbia. Her work involved clarifying unknowns surrounding bull trout biology and ecology, specifically bull trout movement and migratory behaviour to determine where and when they may be vulnerable to fishing. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Johnson's research examined the political economy of the American blood plasma industry. Following the history of this economy from plantation prisons in the US south to the opening of new plasma centers in the contemporary suburbs, her work reveals how relations of race and inequality shape this increasingly significant economy. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2022 Many clinical drug trials are not published, biasing the evidence available to inform patient care. Dr. Morrow's research shows that drug companies may influence whether trials are published and that researchers have career-related incentives to focus on reporting positive trials. These insights could help improve policy on clinical drug trials. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. Obada-Obieh studied how technological solutions in personal, professional, and involuntary relationships led to security and privacy concerns. She proposes a framework of how technological solutions can be (re)designed to address these concerns. Her research could make users feel safer while using these technologies in their relationships. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2022 Severe cases of thrombosis can lead to stroke or heart attack. Dr. La developed a new strategy for creating positively charged therapeutic polymers. Their charge increases when binding to their target polyanion, resulting in a class of molecules able to inhibit blood clotting with reduced bleeding risk. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Khalili identified limiting factors to achieve desired autonomy among wheeled mobility assistive device users. Subsequently, she developed novel control strategies to improve the performance and usability of these devices. Her research provides an autonomy-based evaluation and design paradigm for future assistive technology developments. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Taylor examined changes in peptide hormone biosynthesis in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. These studies have improved our understanding of the cellular and physiological changes that occur during the development of diabetes. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Renteria used various experimental and computational methods to gain insights on the fluid mechanics involved in primary cementing of horizontal and irregular wellbores. Her research aims to prevent hydrocarbons from leaking, either to surface or into the water table. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Pilsworth identified novel mutations in adult-type granulosa cell tumours of the ovary and explored the development of new models to study this rare cancer. She concluded that this cancer is a highly specific disease that is centered around the FOXL2 mutation and that treatments targeting this mutation is the most promising approach. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Bhardwaj studied how a cosmopolitan community of progressive South Asian Canadian labour cultural activists contested cultural hegemony in British Columbia in the 1980s. He records and reinterprets a unique phase of intercommunity cultural solidarity that succeeded in producing a forceful critique against gender inequality. Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD)
2022 Dr. McDaniel examined how frontline community workers maintain wellness while responding to the fentanyl overdose crisis. Participant responses focused on collective ethics, social support, work-life balance, structural supports, and individual strategies. These findings make clear the crucial need to advocate for increased worker resources. Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Gray's research demonstrated how a health promotion intervention, called Choose to Move, could be implemented, adapted, and scaled up before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This intervention supported social connectedness and mobility, and reduced loneliness of older adults across BC. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)

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