Pamela Anne Ratner
Pamela Anne Ratner is a Canadian health scientist and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. She is widely recognized for her pioneering research on intimate partner violence, which was among the earliest population-based studies to document the incidence of wife abuse and its association with women's mental health.
Early life and education
Ratner was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1955. She completed her nursing diploma at Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing in 1979. She later earned a Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, a BSc in Nursing with distinction, an MN, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Alberta. Her doctoral dissertation, Societal responses as moderators of the health consequences of wife abuse, examined the role of social responses in mediating health outcomes for women experiencing intimate partner violence.In 1992, Ratner earned a Certificate in Epidemiology from Tufts University. She subsequently undertook postdoctoral training at the University of British Columbia from 1995 to 1998 in epidemiology, health promotion, and preventive medicine. She was the first nurse in Canada to be awarded a three-year Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship for postdoctoral study; the Medical Research Council would later become the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Research on intimate partner violence
Ratner's 1993 publication, The incidence of wife abuse and mental health status in abused wives in Edmonton, Alberta, was one of the first community-based studies to estimate the prevalence of physical and psychological abuse among women and examine its relationship to mental health outcomes. Based on a population-based survey, the study reported that 10.6% of women had experienced physical abuse, and 13.1% psychological abuse. Women who experienced abuse reported significantly higher levels of somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and social dysfunction compared to non-abused women. The study also identified key risk factors, including recent marital separation, younger age, short duration of relationship, and partners' unemployment or underemployment. It further documented elevated rates of alcohol dependency among abused women.The paper has been cited extensively and remains influential in both academic research and policy discussions related to intimate partner violence and women's health.
Academic career
At the University of British Columbia:- Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science
- Head pro tem, Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education
- Senior Associate Dean, Administration & Innovation, Faculty of Education
- Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, International, pro tem
- Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Enrolment & Academic Facilities
Research and academic contributions
In later years, Ratner collaborated on interdisciplinary projects spanning environmental and occupational health, cardiovascular care pathways, and pragmatic health-services trials. These multi-centre studies illustrate a shift toward translational outcomes research—applying rigorous measurement and modelling techniques to questions of service delivery, environmental exposure, and population well-being. Her recent publications include a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of a digital quality-of-life assessment and support system for home health care.
Across her career, Ratner's publications demonstrate a consistent emphasis on gender, equity, and methodological rigour in population-health research.
Selected publications
- Ratner, P. A.. "The incidence of wife abuse and mental health status in abused wives in Edmonton, Alberta." Canadian Journal of Public Health, 84, 246–249. doi:10.1007/BF03403695. PMID 8509210.
- Kwon, J. Y., Sawatzky, R., Baumbusch, J., Lauck, S., & Ratner, P. A.. "Growth mixture models: a case example of the longitudinal analysis of patient-reported outcomes data captured by a clinical registry." BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21, 79. doi:10.1186/s12874-021-01276-z. PMID 33882863.
- Kwon, J. Y., Sawatzky, R., Baumbusch, J., & Ratner, P. A.. "Patient-reported outcomes and the identification of subgroups of atrial fibrillation patients: a retrospective cohort study of linked clinical registry and administrative data." Quality of Life Research, 30, 1547–1559. doi:10.1007/s11136-021-02777-6. PMID 33580448.
- Guo, S. E., Ratner, P. A., Tseng, S. C., Lin, C. M., Chi, M. C., Lee, C. W., & Yu, Y. C.. "Exposure to incense burning, biomarkers, and the physical health of temple workers in Taiwan." Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 30, 101804–101816. doi:10.1007/s11356-023-29420-w. PMID 37659022.
- Sawatzky, R., Schick-Makaroff, K., Ratner, P. A., Kwon, J. Y., Whitehurst, D. G. T., Öhlén, J., Maybee, A., Stajduhar, K., Zetes-Zanatta, L., & Cohen, S. R.. "Did a digital quality of life assessment and practice support system in home health care improve the QOL of older adults living with life-limiting conditions and of their family caregivers? A mixed-method pragmatic randomized controlled trial." PLOS ONE, 20, e0320306. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0320306. PMID 40327663.
Leadership and governance roles
Within the nursing profession, Ratner was chair of the Board of the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia. At the national level, Ratner was a member of the Institute Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, serving as vice‑chair and chair, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Nurses Association.
In the cultural sector, she joined the Board of Directors of Early Music Vancouver in 2022, serving as vice‑president and becoming president and chair in 2025.