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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dr. de Zwaan demonstrated that parental care among alpine songbirds can buffer nestlings against extreme weather and predation risk, improving early-life growth conditions and benefitting survival and life-time fitness. A capacity to respond to variable constraints has critical implications for the future of birds under rapid environmental change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Van de Vondervoort examined the contexts in which children positively evaluate helpful versus unhelpful individuals. Her work contributes to our understanding of children's social and moral cognition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Abdelsalam developed a lightweight protective system to help shallow underground structures withstand blast attacks. Using an advanced validated numerical model, his findings show that these composite reinforced concrete panels, which are inexpensive and easy to repair, help to dissipate blast energy and prevent structures from being damaged. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Babanezhad's research explored optimizing parameters for machine learning algorithms, like those used in data processing, focusing specifically on computational cost. His proposed method, which he has tested on a new set of constraints and machine learning models, can train models in less time and achieve better results than previous methods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Verma explored fundamental silt behavior and various parameters that affect its behavior under earthquake loading. Through extensive laboratory testing, he produced an experimental database which will serve to enhance and refine the current state of knowledge about the behavior of silts under earthquake loading. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Carter explored the variation between individuals in endurance exercise performance during acute exposure to altitude by examining the impact on the pulmonary vasculature. His findings show the effect of simulated altitude on sleep quality and athletic performance, as well as the role of sildenafil in endurance cycle performance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Baumeister developed computer programs to analyze brain images. When applied to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, his study yielded novel insights into disease related changes to the brain's structure and function. This research contributes to our understanding and assessment of brain diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Paudel studied two key aspects of plant-virus interaction: how viruses coerce plants to produce viral products and how the plant defends itself. He identified regions in the viral genome that help in hijacking the host resources. Also, his results showed a variety of host antiviral defenses and highlighted the complexity of the interaction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Li used large databases of thermal comfort field studies to challenge the current criteria in international standards. She developed new ways of measuring and analyzing thermal comfort, and proposed improvements to building design and operation strategies that can both improve human comfort and reduce energy and carbon emissions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Button investigated the role of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), particles in the blood made of fats and proteins, in protecting brain blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease. Her work shows that raising the levels of functional HDL through drugs or lifestyle changes may protect against brain blood vessel changes and prevent Alzheimer's disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2020 | While it is tempting to see referendums as the most democratic way of making decisions, others worry that citizens are uninformed or that governments will manipulate the process. Dr. McKay's doctoral research explores how referendums could be redesigned to reinforce, rather than undermine, contemporary democracies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Yeo examined the fundamental chemistry of early and late transition metal complexes. She studied the reactivity of early transition metal dinitrogen complexes and synthesized novel late transition metal complexes, exploring the capability of these chemical systems to provide insight for future advances in synthetic chemistry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Chen studied numerical algorithms for stiff elastodynamic simulation, a key procedure in computer graphics applications. He developed models for natural physical movements that would maintain stability and produce lively simulations at a lower cost. This work will improve the efficiency and accuracy for physically-based computer simulation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Tam studied proteins that cut, paste, and re-assemble the messages encoded by DNA for protein assembly called splicing factors, which are frequently mutated in cancers. Using budding yeast and leukemic cell line models, she showed that mutations in these proteins lead to an accumulation of DNA damage, which may contribute to cancer progression. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Wildcat's research looks at how colonization has led to the rise of an exclusive practice of sovereignty that prevents cooperation between First Nation governments. As an alternative, the practice of relational sovereignty is explored by looking at how the Maskwacis Education Commission created a shared school system between four First Nations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Haggerty investigated the transitional experiences of multilingual writers socializing into the discourse practices of a Canadian university. Results point to a pressing need to re-consider the time needed and level of complexity involved in academic writing instructions in relation to linguistic, academic, and disciplinary needs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Lee developed a novel method to isolate and sequence RNA from specific single cells identified by imaging. He subsequently applied his method to sequence rare immune cell events and showed diverging decisions being made by single cells within a population. This novel method will improve our understanding of how immune cells fight disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | The truth of "magnets attract iron" and "cars stop at red lights" have different weights. The former is more substantive than the latter, which is a convention. Dr. Soltani's research addresses the meaning of, the justification for, and the significance of Henri Poincaré's claim that geometric truths are also conventions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Booth investigated the development of small airways disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He showed that patients in the early stages of COPD already have chronically inflamed airways and tissue destruction. His work increases our knowledge of small airways disease in COPD and provides new avenues for treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hollingdale tested the hypothesis that employing more women and people of colour in finance can lead to better financial risk decisions. She found that while firms with more diverse employees in risk-management roles do have better risk outcomes, diversity policies do little to stop the hostility that many minority-employees continue to face. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2020 | With the rise of the Internet, we are now getting more information from non-paper sources. Dr. Palmer examined pulp and paper companies' strategies for adjusting to the resulting decline in demand for different types of paper. Her work highlighted the broader challenges cyclical commodity industries face when defining their turnaround strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Amendola found that inhalation of CO2, commonly used to kill laboratory rats, induces negative emotional states. Her research shows that rats experience anxiety at low CO2 concentrations, and that the onset of these feelings varies between individuals. Her results indicate that CO2 compromises rat welfare even for the least sensitive of rats. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Soth examined the impact of a quality assurance program on dental hygiene care in BC. She found that the new program had little or no impact on practice and that the business culture of the workplace negatively impacted participants' ability to implement patient-centered care. The findings have implications for practitioners and regulators. | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Stewart studied lung cancer genetics, and discovered how recently-discovered genes called non-coding RNAs are altered in order to drive this deadly disease, and may be promising clinical targets. But the most important thing he learned during his PhD...was how to love. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. McBride's research focused on women's experiences of wellbeing during the menopausal transition, shifting the discourse from a biomedical and pathology focused perspective to one of developmental growth and thriving. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |