Savithiri Ratnapalan

Consultant Staff Physician, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

Project Director

Director, Health Systems Leadership and Innovation Program, Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
Educator, Center for Faculty Development

Savithiri Ratnapalan MBBS, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and the Director of the Health Systems Leadership and Innovation Program at the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation. Her research interests include paediatric emergency care, medical education, and organizational change.

Some notable achievements have been co-developing the first Paediatric Sedation Program in Canada, implementing sedation programs in Gambia, Ireland, Hongkong, Qatar and United Kingdom. Implementing a ‘train the trainer’ program at Laval University, Quebec, a continuing education program for family physicians in Saudi Arabia and developing palliative care in Saudi Arabia and improving paediatric emergency care at Oxford University Hospitals, United Kingdom.

Research

Her research interests include evaluating clinical care for children presenting to the emergency departments, health professional education and health systems change management.

Education and Experience 

• 2019: FRCP-Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London, UK
• 2014—2018: Ph.D. Leadership in Higher& Adult Education, University of Toronto
• 2001—2003: M.Ed., University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 2002: FRCPC, Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 2001 FAAP, Fellow, American Board of Pediatrics
• 1996: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (Licence # 70848)
• 1995: MRCP, Member, of Royal College of Physicians (UK) Subject: Paediatrics

Achievements 

• 2025: Eugenie Stuart Award for Program Leadership, University of Toronto,
• 2024: Anna Jarvis Teaching Award. Canadian Paediatric Society
• 2022: Continuing Education and Graduate Studies Instructor Award, University of Toronto, Canada.
• 2022: James C. Fallis Teaching Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2020: Dave Davis Award for Research in Continuing Medical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2013: James C. Fallis Teaching Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2012: James C. Fallis Teaching Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2012: Communicator Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2011: James C. Fallis Teaching Award, Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine. Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2011: Helen Batty Awards for Faculty Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2007: David Fear Fellowship Award for Continuing Medical Education. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2002: Saunders Award for Excellence in Clinical Care. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Ratnapalan S, Sriharan A, Anderson G, Dubinsky I,Chan BT, Smith T, Allin S, Sen D, Lopez C, Downie-Ross Z, Nadarajah A, Laporte A. Teaching health systemsleadership and innovation to physicians. BMJ Lead.2025 Apr 9:leader-2024-001098. doi: 10.1136/leader-2024-001098. Epub ahead of print. 
2. Nadarajah, A., Malekzadeh, G. and Ratnapalan, S.,2025. The use of artificial intelligence in paediatricpostgraduate medical education: A scoping review. Paediatrics & Child Health, p.pxaf054
3. Ratnapalan S, Thevaranjan J, Perera N, Nassarallah B,Wolter NE. Retropharyngeal and parapharyngealinfections in children: A retrospective analysis. Pediatr Neonatol. 2025 Mar;66(2):162-167. doi:10.1016/j.pedneo.2023.12.014. Epub 2024 Jul 6. 
4. Ratnapalan S, Lang D, Janzen K, Muzzin L. Role ofemotions in change and change management in anemergency department: a qualitative study. BMJ Lead. 2024 Aug 1:leader-2024-001074. doi: 10.1136/leader-2024-001074
5. Sriharan A, Sekercioglu N, Berta W, Boet S, Laporte A,Strudwick G, Senkaiahliyan S, Ratnapalan S. Addressing the health human resources crisis:Strategies for retaining women health careprofessionals in organizations. PLoS One. 2024 Jun13;19 (6):e0293107. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0293107. 

See Dr. Ratnaplan's publications

Funding

• 2022—2023: Co-Investigator Why they persist in Health Workforce: A Mixed-Method Study to characterize and examine the Experiences of Women (Women Health Workforce Study) A Sriharan, M Prokopy, W Berta, S Boet. A Laporte, S Ratnapalan, G. Strudwick, T. Perreira. CIHR Catalyst Grant: $100,000
• 2021—2023: Co-Investigator. Developing a tool kit to build vaccine confidence and ensure equitable COVID-19 vaccination implementation strategies in low-and-middle income countries: a multi-stakeholder implementation science and co-development study. Wei X, Aslanyan G, Warren H, Fadel SA, Haldane VE, Lau L, Meyer S, Ratnapalan S, Wu S. CIHR $ 199 808.00
• 2020—2021: Co-Applicant. Early recognition and referral of children and youth to specialized care who present at high risk for prolonged concussion recovery in acute and primary care settings. Implementation Catalyst Project. Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. Applicants: McFarland S, Ratnapalan S. $10,000
• 2020—2022: Co-PI. Developing integrated guidelines for healthcare workers in hospital and primary healthcare facilities in response to Covid-19 pandemic in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Wei X, Aslanyan G, Lau L, Samaraweera S, Chavez W, Dodd W, Haldane V, Ratnapalan S, Selby P, Upshur R, Wallace J, Xue J. $498,188.00
• 2020—2021: Co-PI. Stress, burnout and depression in women in health care during COVID-19 Pandemic: A rapid evidence synthesis. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Principal Investigators: Sriharan A, Lupea D, Ratnapalan S. $ 50,000
• 2015—2017: Co-PI. The Role of Graduate Programs in Promoting Education Scholarship in Health Professionals. Art of the Possible Education Scholarship Grant, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto. Collaborators: Ghavam-Rassoul A, Ratnapalan S. $4,500.00
• 2014—2015: PI. Improving Resuscitations in Children. Oxford University Hospitals Charitable Fund. Collaborators: Ratnapalan S.
  £2,280.00 GBP
• 2012—2016: Coll. Evaluating the Impact of Emergency Room Services for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Treatment Network/Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health. Collaborators: Zwaigenbaum, L, Nicholas DB, Roberts W, Muskat B, Newton A, Ratnapalan S, Sharon R, Cohen-Silver J. $299,583.30 CAD