Her research interests include quasar host galaxies, interactions and mergers of galaxies, ultraluminous infrared galaxies, AGN, stellar populations, quasar feedback and duty cycle, black hole masses and old galaxies at high redshift. As a postdoc at LLNL, she contributed to the development of the adaptive optics system at Lick. Canalizo is also a board member of the Passion Center for Children, a non-profit organization that serves children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Malawi, Africa. Every summer, she runs outreach programs in Africa, teaching science to orphans and other disadvantaged youth. She received a BS in physics from MIT and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Hawaii.