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. Braich studied the impact of climate change on agriculture in the Prairies, both past and into the future. She found warming trends have already negatively impacted yields, and by 2050 yields could be reduced by more than 20%. Her findings emphasize the need for adaptation planning to address climate impacts in this key agricultural region. | Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD) |
| 2024 | Through the methodology of a/r/tography - art, research, teaching - Dr. Filippelli presents a writing practice for aesthetic encounters with visual art that interweaves poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction with research on art, literacy, aesthetic, and museum education scholarship. It, thus, contributes to all these fields of education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Lacelle-Webster studied the work and experience of hope in democratic politics. Drawing on Hannah Arendt and contemporary democratic theory, he proposes a theoretical account of democratic hope that depends on and deepens political practices and spaces, empowering political agents to define possibility as an open, shared, and worldly phenomenon. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Bell investigated the role of the surface glycoprotein, podocalyxin, in breast and pancreatic cancer and showed that the molecule's sugar-rich, extracellular domain contributes to tumour cell collective invasion. This work provides insight into mechanisms of early metastasis and highlights the potential of podocalyxin-targeted therapeutics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Secco analyzed the long-run impact of historical events in Brazil. His research focused on how territorial divisions during colonial Brazil have persistent consequences on the size of government and the delivery of public services depending on whether a colonizer was a public or private agent. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Randall explored long-term patient satisfaction with total knee replacement. She found that 12% of participants were dissatisfied, particularly those with ongoing symptoms and unmet expectations. The main concern for patients was how well their new knee supported their daily lives. These findings have both clinical and research implications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Liu delves into the creation of innovative platforms and methodologies to study one-pot multistep reaction. His work enabled an automated control and analysis system for one-pot telescoped reactions and proposed an efficient optimization strategy for complicated multistep syntheses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Hsueh developed ways of understanding protein behavior through physics simulations. In his thesis, he developed novel simulation methods, explored the physical origin of ALS disease, and computationally designed therapeutics for both neurodegenerative disease and COVID19. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Li conducted research on the association between TNF inhibitors and multiple sclerosis in four Canadian provinces. An increased risk of multiple sclerosis was found in users of TNF inhibitors. This finding is vital for healthcare practitioners to weigh the benefits and risks of TNF inhibitors, ultimately guiding safer medical decisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Around the world people breathe in polluted air that irritates their lungs and causes inflammation. Dr. Huff's research demonstrated that current anti-inflammatory asthma medications increase common cold infections in human lung cells exposed to pollution, and identified three new medicines that reduce air pollution induced inflammation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Adebara's research on Afrocentric Natural Language Processing enables artificial intelligence technologies for 517 African languages and language varieties. This ensures that millions of African people have access to technologies in their Indigenous languages. | Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Toorians' work deals with biodiversity loss and the rise of epidemics. She has explained disease-emergence through host phylogenetic community structure. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Beljaars studied the evolution of salsa in the Netherlands, exposing Antillean influences on Dutch culture. She also examined interactions in the Afro-Latin dance scene, illuminating the complexities of identity and belonging in Dutch postcolonial society and emphasizing the criticality of race in understanding Dutch cultural citizenship. | Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (PhD) |
| 2024 | Replacing plastics with green alternatives is a tough nut to crack. Dr. Goonesinghe introduces new methods to convert simple molecules into complex biodegradable materials using quirky new indium catalysts. His work unveils the huge potential of these tragically underappreciated elements, paving the way for better catalysts and greener plastics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Dong studied the epigenetic role in evolution. He discovered the important role of DNA methylation in population specificity and evolutionary conservation, especially in terms of their genetic basis and functional relevance. His findings can provide new evolutionary insights into the roles of epigenetics in cellular functions and human health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Hrelja examined how decision-making was bidirectionally influenced by self-administered drugs of abuse in rodent models. This preclinical research illuminates considerations and refinements that can be made to the treatment of addiction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Santos investigated how teachers resist the deprofessionalization of teaching caused by neoliberal educational reforms. Dr. Santos' research shows how teachers reclaim their pedagogical authority using different tactics of resistance and how narratives can serve as political resources for teachers under situations of oppression. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Pei studied bifunctional gas diffusion electrodes for reversible oxygen reaction catalysis. The findings provide valuable insights into designing durable and highly active transition-metal-based reversible oxygen electrodes for energy conversion and storage systems, contributing to a green future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Gryba, in partnership with Inupiat hunters, developed new methods to include Indigenous Knowledge in statistical models as a sole data source and with animal movement data. This work highlights Indigenous Knowledge that is not available in scientific data, and provides new ways for Indigenous Knowledge to be included in species management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Weiner examined how rebel groups adapt to shifts in the strategic environment during long conflicts. Focusing on the Syrian civil war, he found that leader turnover reduced group battlefield performance but not overall violence, while revenue shocks led groups to tax people in their territory more rather than increase looting. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Arbabi developed a new approach to model the small-scale behavior of composite materials during manufacturing processes. This model empowers composite manufacturing companies to have better control over the processes, thereby facilitating the production of defect-free, lightweight structures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Tophkhane studied the functional effects of mutations in WNT pathway genes associated with Robinow syndrome using the chicken embryo model. She found that the mutant proteins disturb development of the facial skeleton and cell signaling. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Orach investigated the dose-response to controlled air pollution exposure in a clinical trial. He identified blood proteins, breath measurements and symptoms that are closely related to diesel exhaust levels. This research facilitates health monitoring and improves our ability to assess and mitigate the harmful impacts of air pollution. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Fournier uncovered a new role for ARID1A, a gene lost in about 7% of all cancers, in the maintenance of genome integrity. Using CRISPR screening, he also identified vulnerabilities of cancer cells that lose ARID1A. This work expands our understanding of how these tumours develop and provides potential new avenues for treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2024 | Dr. Saville characterized SARS-CoV-2 variants in real-time as they emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborating with the BC - Centres For Disease Control, antibodies from patient sera were assessed for their ability to neutralize major viral variants to help inform future vaccination strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |