Loren Pankratz

Loren Pankratz
Born (1940-02-27) February 27, 1940 (age 84)
Portland, Oregon U.S.
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materOregon State University BA 1962
University of Oregon PhD 1968
Known forPosttraumatic stress disorder
Münchausen syndrome by proxy
Scientific career
FieldsPsychology
InstitutionsPortland VA Medical Center
Oregon Health & Science University

Loren Pankratz (born February 27, 1940[citation needed]) is a consultation psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center and professor in the department of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).[1]

Following his retirement in 1995, he maintained a forensic practice until 2012.[citation needed] He testified nationally on cases of Münchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP), often defending mothers accused of harming their children.[2][3]

He has written and lectured on a wide variety of unusual topics such as dancing manias, spiritualism, Greek oracles, ghosts, plagues, historical enigmas, mesmerism, moral panics, con-games, self-deception, faith healing, self-surgery, miracles, ethical blunders, quackery, and renaissance science.[citation needed] He has also published magic history, magic tricks, and mentalism effects in magazines.[1] Pankratz, along with Ray Hyman and Jerry Andrus, was a founding faculty member of the Skeptic's Toolbox in Eugene, Oregon. Pankratz is also a Fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Imposters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kane was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weintraub was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "CSI Fellows and Staff". CFI. Retrieved 2012-08-14.