Kristin Canavera, PhD

Dr. Kristin Canavera is a pediatric psychologist at Ochsner Health, providing treatment for children, adolescents and young adults coping with and adjusting to chronic or life-threatening medical conditions. She specializes in hematology/oncology, critical care, bioethics and anxiety. Dr. Canavera received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Virginia Tech, where she specialized in treatments for pediatric anxiety disorders, OCD and trauma. She completed her predoctoral internship in Child Clinical and Pediatric Psychology at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. She then completed her fellowship in Pediatric Psychology from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where she then served as a faculty member until moving to Ochsner in 2022. Dr. Canavera also has specialized training and interests in bioethics and clinical ethics consultation. She completed the pediatric bioethics certificate program at Children's Mercy and earned her Masters in Bioethics and Health Policy from Loyola University. Dr. Canavera has served in several leadership and advocacy roles on institutional and national committees. She is co-director of the Fellowship Program in Pediatric Psychology at Ochsner. Dr. Canavera is also the founder and Chair of the Critical Care SIG of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. She was a LEND fellow (Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) and has served as a member of the Bioethics Committee of the Children's Oncology Group, Advocacy Chair of the Hem/Onc/BMT SIG of the Society of Pediatric Psychology, Co-Chair of the Day of Remembrance (Bereavement Committee) and ICU Early Mobilization Committee at St. Jude, among others. In addition to patient care, Dr. Canavera engages in academic endeavors and research, serves as an ad hoc reviewer for several journals, and continues to publish on issues related to anxiety, bioethics, pediatric and AYA oncology, critical care and psychological functioning and mental health care during and after the ICU.

Internship

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Field of Study: Child Clinical and Pediatric Psychology

Fellowship

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Field of Study: Pediatric Psychology Fellowship completed for PhD