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. Hotte studied the creation of trust between Indigenous representatives and regional or national governments collaborating on natural resource governance. She highlights the role of individual, interpersonal, and institutional influences on trust, and shows the negative impact that lived experiences of discrimination have on trusting behaviour. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hippman built a feminist, woman-centered, theoretical model of decision making from women's stories, and showed that there is not yet enough evidence for genetic testing to guide antidepressant prescribing during pregnancy. Her work can be used to support women making decisions about how to care for their mental health during pregnancy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Xu's research explored the interactions between light and new synthetic molecules. These interactions include chemical changes such as photochromism or physical changes such as thermally activated delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence. This work will impact applications such as super-resolution imaging and display technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder often accompanied by brain changes and cardiovascular problems. Following an exercise program with schizophrenia patients, Dr. Woodward showed regional brain growth with improvements in clinical symptoms and cardiovascular health, showing a critical need for exercise as a part of mental health treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. McGuire conducted an ethnography of expensive rare disease drug access disputes in Canada. Through fieldwork with affected families, public drug plans, and pharmaceutical companies, she explored how high drug prices depend on particular framings of suffering that artificially separate rare disease patients from issues of collective concern. | Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. McMillan developed and applied sophisticated geochemical approaches to stakeholder- and Indigenous-led investigations of archaeological biominerals and mineraloids, encompassing a large span of human history on two continents. The resulting techniques and data provided key information for addressing modern questions about the human journey. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Yu introduced a new method to quantify the effect of logging on floods in the snowy regions of British Columbia. His research is the first to use nonstationary frequency analysis to reveal a highly sensitive flood regime to logging. His findings run counter to the prevalent, century-old wisdom in the field of forest hydrology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ghazani's doctoral studies focused on the development of an easy method to sort particles into different classes. He designed and made a device to continuously separate microfibre particles. His findings contribute to the bio-product industry and will allow for either reduced energy usage or enhanced service performance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Sandlin explored the nature of affective qualities, asking: what makes objects pleasant? His discussion was focused particularly on pleasant smells and pleasantness attributed to objects. He argues that pleasantness cannot be independent of our experience, but rather that pleasantness is a relationship between our experience and the world. | Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hakeem developed innovative strategies for replacing antibiotics in agri-foods systems. He identified how synergistic combinations work collectively against Campylobacter jejuni. He also developed a nanoscale packaging system to inactivate this pathogenic bacterium in poultry meats to enhance food safety and public health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ai developed a photo-acoustic imaging system through optical excitation and acoustic detection to illuminate the prostate from within the urethra using a transurethral probe. This technique will improve the detection and imaging of malignant tissue and prostate cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ordobadi studied nanoparticles for delivery of small molecule drugs and nucleic acids. Through her studies, she looked at the effect of nanoparticle composition on therapeutic relevance. Her findings can ultimately be used to develop treatments for a range of diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hao investigated Ti-catalyzed hydroamination, a powerful tool in the synthesis of various nitrogen-containing compounds. He used this complex to transform simple starting materials into complex nitrogen containing products, which can be used in new chemical reactions to make important commercial products like drugs and herbicides. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. King-Scobie studied how Canadian cities manage floods and recover from flood disasters. Her research developed new data, analysis, and tools to support municipal planning in balancing the protection of functioning rivers while protecting cities from floods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Luan explored optical sensing architectures to improve diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy, and economy. He developed two types of sub-wavelength grating-based sensors, which present an improved sensitivity compared to conventional counterparts. This will impact medical diagnostics and healthcare services, particularly in developing countries. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Nkansah-Boadu studied the treatment of selenium-contaminated coal mine-affected water using microbial consortia from mine-affected sediments. He discovered novel selenium-reducing bacteria and selenium removal pathways. His findings contribute knowledge for designing systems for remediating selenium-contaminated mine waters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Freshwater depletion has become a major problem for the global minerals industry. Dr. Hashemzadeh studied the use of seawater for copper extraction from ores, demonstrating the feasibility of using seawater in the extraction process. His findings will help to address water-related challenges facing the resources sector. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Lutz examined the effectiveness of a group therapeutic model to support military veterans and first responders in their transition from active duty to civilian life. His research will inform the development of effective programs that will improve the quality of life for the men and women who have been in service domestically and abroad. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Crippen studied the endangered Tlingit (CLING-kit) language of Alaska, BC, & Yukon. He showed that its complex verb has an internal structure that is fundamentally the same as whole sentences in other languages. His work fits Tlingit into the larger theory of human language structure and supports its revitalization within the Tlingit community. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Shu addressed power management issues in a mobile sensor network, with specific application to automated water quality monitoring. He developed energy-efficient methods to prolong the lifetime of the sensor network, which could be applied to various other environmental monitoring systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Kunimoto discovered 17 new planets outside of the Solar System, including one that may be considered potentially habitable. She also analyzed her planet catalogue to reveal important information about planet formation and evolution theories. Her results indicate that there may be as many as one Earth-like planet for every five Sun-like stars. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2020 | In this study, Dr. Conteh investigated University of Botswana first-year students' instruction and use of digital technologies. Participants' uneven digital literacy skills, as well as various resource challenges, suggest a need for more effective integration of technologies in order to foster students' academic and professional success. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hossain investigated the use of Self-Tapping-Screws, a popular connector in Cross-Laminated Timber structures. These joints were tested under both monotonic loading and cyclic loading, which simulates the impact of an earthquake. Her research provides guidance to structural engineers and builders for designing timber shear connections. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Byrne challenges long-standing claims about the psychology of partisanship. He shows that years of potential support cause an increase in partisanship, but not through the process of political socialization, or strengthening. This research sheds light on the psychology of partisanship and its impact on the stabilization of democracy over time. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Jones examined the epidemiology of common mental disorders in workers with short term work disability due to musculoskeletal work injury. She found that workers with a common mental disorder were less likely to achieve sustained return to work. Her findings will inform work disability management policy and practice. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |