Colleen Varcoe

Dr. Colleen Varcoe, RN, PhD is a professor Emeritus in the University of British Columbia School of Nursing. A truly excellent researcher, Colleen is renowned for her promotion of ethical and socially just healthcare. Her work aims to decrease inequity and violence, including interpersonal and structural forms of violence such as racism and stigma related to poverty and substance use.

Over her career, Colleen’s research has included studies of the risks for and health effects of violence and promoting health for women who experience violence, especially Indigenous women. She has studied how to promote equity-oriented healthcare (cultural safety/antiracism, substance use health/harm reduction, and trauma- and violence-informed care) at the organizational level and worked with Indigenous communities, organizations and issues in health care and criminal justice contexts.

Her contributions to the School of Nursing are significant and wide-reaching: Colleen has demonstrated outstanding leadership in anti-racism and cultural safety efforts at both UBC and across the country. Furthermore, as the author of over 200 peer reviewed journal articles and chapters and several books on women’s health, relational practice and trauma- and violence-informed care, Colleen’s body of work has brought great honour to the School of Nursing and Faculty of Applied Science.