Dr. Birkeland’s research focus is translating novel clinical and basic research findings directly to patient care. To this end, he utilizes next generation sequencing, immune profiling, biomarker identification, and animal models to understand the causes of and treatments for head and neck cancers. His overarching aim is to advance precision medicine: providing personalized, optimized treatments for each head and neck cancer patient.

Dr. Birkeland focuses on providing care for all benign and malignant head and neck tumors. He treats skin cancers, mucosal cancers in the head and neck, endocrine tumors, salivary gland disease, and skull base tumors. Dr. Birkeland has specialized training and particular interest in microvascular reconstructive surgery and transoral robotic surgery.