Dr. Kawanishi is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He completed his cardiology fellowship under Dr. S.H. Rahimtoola at the University of Southern California in 1983 and joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine in 1988. He was Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the LAC + USC Medical Center from 1990 to June 1997.
He went into private practice in June 1997 with Mission Internal Medical Group (MIMG). He continues work in the field of clinical research and currently is Chairman of the IRB at Mission Hospital. Dr. Kawanishi has completed clinical training in the diagnosis, treatment and management of varicose veins.