Karisa Walker, MD, MEd

My name is Karisa Walker, M.D., and I joined the department in 2023 as an associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology and associate program director of education assessments. I earned my medical degree at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and my master’s in education at Johns Hopkins University. I interned in preliminary internal medicine at Christina Hospital in Newark, Del., and completed a residency in anesthesiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Prior to joining the University of Florida, I served as a pediatric anesthesiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., and at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. I also taught at the University of Washington, the University of Nebraska and the University of Pittsburgh.

I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a physician and an anesthesiologist — as soon as I learned the profession existed — and never changed my mind! My academic interest is educational assessment and validity. My primary work has been in how to establish validity evidence for existing high-stakes assessment and developing stronger, more meaningful assessment and feedback systems for trainees. I have had a special focus on pediatric difficult airways, craniofacial and ENT, as well as transplants, posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis. I love, love, love my job and it is my honor to take care of you and your child.

My wife Dr. Kandiah and I share two beautiful children, Nathan and Sara. They are the lights of our lives. We enjoy playing with them and our 7-year-old Tibetan Terrier named Percy. I also enjoy baking, Peloton and DIY home maintenance and repair.