Dr. Karanicolas holds the Sherif and Mary-Lou Hanna Chair in Surgical Oncology Research. The main focus of his research is designing and leading randomized controlled trials in surgical oncology. He is the principal investigator of several clinical trials and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) hepatobiliary committee co-chair.

Dr. Karanicolas is the surgical lead for the hepatic arterial infusion pump chemotherapy program at the Odette Cancer Centre. This is the first program of its kind in Canada and offers an additional therapeutic option for patients with colorectal liver metastases.