Dr Kanawati was born in Sydney and obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery with Honours from the University of New South Wales, graduating in 2006. Passionate about patient care and recognised for his calm and approachable manner, Dr Kanawati prioritises listening to his patients, ensuring they feel heard and understood. He takes the time to clearly explain diagnoses and treatment options in a practical and transparent way, helping patients feel informed and actively involved in decisions about their care.

Dr Kanawati undertook advanced training in Orthopaedic Surgery, completing a Master of Applied Anatomy by Dissection at the University of New England. Over two consecutive years, he was awarded the Allan Frederick Dwyer Prize for Best Scientific Paper at the Australian Orthopaedic Registrars Association Annual Scientific Meeting for his research on sciatic nerve and femoral artery anatomy in the setting of joint replacement and trauma. He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2017. During his training, Dr Kanawati published more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies in leading orthopaedic journals.

Dr Kanawati undertook two years of fellowship training in spine surgery at Victoria Hospital in London, Canada, where he developed advanced skills in microsurgery and navigation-assisted spine surgery. During this time, he completed a Master of Surgery at Western University, Canada, specialising in 3D printing and patient-specific guides in spine surgery. On returning to Australia, he completed a Diploma of Spine Surgery with the AO Foundation, Switzerland.

Dr Kanawati’s clinical and research interests include orthopaedic and spinal trauma, as well as degenerative conditions of the spine.

Dr Kanawati currently holds a public appointment at Westmead Hospital, contributing to the spinal unit and orthopaedic trauma on-call services. He is also actively involved in teaching medical students, junior doctors and orthopaedic registrars.