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TARGetKids

Brief Biography

• Completed post-graduate training as Chief Resident in Paediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in 2001. 
• From 2001-2004 completed a fellowship in Academic General Paediatrics at SickKids, as well as an M.Sc. degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research Program from the University of Toronto. 
• Appointed as a Staff Paediatrician (clinical specialist), Division of Paediatric Medicine and Assistant Professor, University of Toronto in 2004.

Clinical Care Activities 

• General inpatient paediatrics
• Outpatient complex obesity treatment

Research Interests

• TARGet Kids! Longitudinal cohort design and pragmatic randomized controlled trials, obesity prevention and treatment, physical activity and screen time
• Injury prevention
• Childhood obesity prevention
• Health promotion in preschool children through office practice settings
• Complex morbid obesity treatment

Learning Interests

• Child Advocacy

External Funding

• 2019-2022 Principal Investigator, PARENT: Preventing obesity in toddlers through group based parenting intervention in primary care
• 2018-2022 Co-Principal Investigator, CoMFORT (Cow’s Milk Fat Obesity pRevention Trial)
• 2014-2020 Co-Principal Investigator, Fit for School, Fit for Life: Child Health and School Readiness
• 2015-2020 Co-Principal Investigator, Team to Address Bariatric Case in Canadian Children (Team ABC3)
• 2016-2019 Principal Investigator, Addressing Obesity in Toddlers at Risk: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Usual Care to Group-Based Parenting and Home Visits in Primary Care

Achievements

• 2012 - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP Ontario Chapter), Pediatricians Alliance of Ontario; Special Achievement Award
• 2011 - Dr. William Feldman Award for Excellence in Paediatric Medicine Research, Division of Paediatric Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children
• 2004 - The Children's Hospital Foundation Award for Excellence in Research - First Place, Fellow, Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba and the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• 2004 - Paediatric Research Award, Subspecialty Paediatrics Research award, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
• 2002 - Graduate Student Union M.Sc. Posters Award, Research award, Department of Health Policy Management and Evaluative Sciences, University of Toronto

Publications

A listing of Dr. Birken's publications is available on PubMed