Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Birnie

Dr. Birnie’s patient-oriented research program focuses on designing and mobilizing evidence-based solutions for pain experienced by children, adolescents, and their families. Her research span the knowledge-to-action continuum including creating new knowledge, synthesizing existing evidence, and mobilizing knowledge to inform health practice and policy. Dr. Birnie collaborates with diverse expert teams (patients, families, decisionmakers, health professional, policymakers) to co-design and evaluate interventions and health services in pain and/or child health. She is a strong advocate for the partnership of patients and families in health research, health care delivery, and health systems design.

Dr. Birnie’s research program is guided, in part, by top priorities identified by patients, families, and health professionals for pediatric chronic pain research and care in the #PartneringForPain project. Her focus on knowledge mobilization, patient partnership, and implementation science aligns with her role as Associate Scientific Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), a national knowledge mobilization network working to improve evidence-based children’s pain management through coordination and collaboration.