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About

Andrew C. Birkeland is a surgeon-scientist specializing in head and neck oncology, with a particular focus on intraoperative imaging technologies and transoral robotic surgery (TORS). His most influential work centers on the application of fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) as a real-time, label-free tool for guiding cancer resection in oral and oropharyngeal cancers. His landmark 2020 study, now cited 88 times, demonstrated that FLIm coupled with machine learning could accurately assess surgical margins intraoperatively across a cohort of 53 patients — a significant step toward reducing tumor recurrence caused by incomplete resection. Building on this foundation, Birkeland has extended FLIm's clinical utility to challenging diagnostic scenarios, including identifying primary lesions in head and neck cancers of unknown primary origin and classifying residual cancer within surgical cavities during robotic procedures. His work integrating anatomy-specific classification models and data-centric learning frameworks reflects a commitment to translating cutting-edge computational methods into practical surgical tools. Complementing his imaging research, Birkeland has contributed to the broader field of precision head and neck surgery, including advances in oropharyngeal reconstruction following TORS, making him a multifaceted innovator at the intersection of surgical oncology and biomedical engineering.