Our Team

Emily Parks is the Founder and CEO of POP. She graduated from Boston University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and currently works within UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Emily lived with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction until receiving an isolated small bowel transplant from MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute in 2020. In her free time, Emily enjoys ballroom dancing, cooking, and boba tea.

Emily

Karis Kelly, a rising IBDP Senior at Taft High School in Chicago, is the Social Media Intern for POP. She is interested in pursuing a career in medicine. Through her own experience with health issues, POP aligns with her passion for making the medical community more transparent and open regarding trauma among those with chronic illnesses. Outside POP, Karis participates in Student Government and NHS at Taft. Out of the school community, she is the Founder and CEO of Youth Medicine Today and the President of On The Money Magazine.

Karis

Ashrith Alavilli is a senior at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago and the Research Intern for POP. With hopes to become an infectious disease specialist one day, Ash spends his time researching arising diseases and findings on them. Outside of POP, Ash is a member of both the school sailing team and the student government.

Ash