Dr Birken completed post-graduate training as chief resident in Pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in 2001. From 2001-2004 completed a fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children, as well as an MSc degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research Program from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on two main areas of interest: obesity prevention through primary care practice, and advancing care for children with severe obesity. She is also involved in the primary care practice based research network in Canada called TARGet Kids and holds two grants for PROMOTE project (CIHR and PSI).