Our Team

Our Team!

Hillary Zieve, MD

Hillary Zieve, MD

Hillary Zieve, MD

Team KiPOW KiPOW OC Co-Founder

Faculty Advisor,
Pediatrician, CHOC Medical Group

UCI/CHOC Pediatric Residency Program Associate Program Director

Dr. Zieve practices pediatrics at Clinica Para Ninos and CHOC Boys and Girls Club. Dr. Zieve received her Medical Degree from University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She completed

Team KiPOW KiPOW OC Co-Founder

Faculty Advisor,
Pediatrician, CHOC Medical Group

UCI/CHOC Pediatric Residency Program Associate Program Director

Dr. Zieve practices pediatrics at Clinica Para Ninos and CHOC Boys and Girls Club. Dr. Zieve received her Medical Degree from University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She completed residency and served as a Chief Resident at the UC Irvine/CHOC pediatric residency program, and now is an Associate Program Director of the program. She currently sits on the board of the AAP-OC chapter as a Member At Large and Co-Chairs the Young Physician Committee. Dr. Zieve is passionate about primary care, preventative medicine, and more specifically pediatric obesity management, nutrition, and healthy weight loss. She lives in Irvine, CA with her husband, 2 children and dog.

Nisha Narayanan, MD

Hillary Zieve, MD

Hillary Zieve, MD

Team KiPOW OC Founder, Pediatric EM Fellow, NYU

Dr. Narayanan received her medical degree from the George Washington University SOM with a focus on health policy. She is currently a fellow in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at NYU. Dr. Narayanan co-founded Team KiPOW! in medical school and has been thrilled to see it expand from Washington

Team KiPOW OC Founder, Pediatric EM Fellow, NYU

Dr. Narayanan received her medical degree from the George Washington University SOM with a focus on health policy. She is currently a fellow in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at NYU. Dr. Narayanan co-founded Team KiPOW! in medical school and has been thrilled to see it expand from Washington DC to Orange County thanks to its rock star team members. She is passionate about pediatric obesity, cardiometabolic health disparities, and health policy. She believes that obesity is an epidemic that must be attacked on a systems level and loves seeing Team KiPOW get kids excited about kale, their hearts beating fast, and the demise of juice. In her spare time, she enjoys running, biking, backpacking, and triathlons

Nikita Nagpal, MD

Candice Taylor, MD MPH

Candice Taylor, MD MPH

Team KiPOW OC Founder, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU School of Medicine/ Bellevue Hospital Center

Dr. Nikita Nagpal received her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College, completed a fellowship in Primary Care Research - Academic General Pediatrics and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatri

Team KiPOW OC Founder, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU School of Medicine/ Bellevue Hospital Center

Dr. Nikita Nagpal received her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College, completed a fellowship in Primary Care Research - Academic General Pediatrics and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center.
Dr. Nagpal is interested in advocacy, research, and weight management. She enjoys participating in KiPOW because it allows her to get involved in pediatric wellness and health on a larger scale. She also enjoys sharing her love of veggies! In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, attending barre class, and spending time with friends and family.

Candice Taylor, MD MPH

Candice Taylor, MD MPH

Candice Taylor, MD MPH

Faculty Advisor

Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH is a general pediatrician and Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor in the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She completed her undergraduate degree, and masters in public health at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then matriculated to the Keck School

Faculty Advisor

Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH is a general pediatrician and Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor in the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She completed her undergraduate degree, and masters in public health at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then matriculated to the Keck School of Medicine, at the University of Southern California and subsequently completed pediatric residency with the UCLA Tri-Campus Pediatric Residency Program, where she also served as a chief resident. She then went to New York University School of Medicine / Bellevue Hospital Center where she finished a fellowship in academic general pediatrics and primary care research prior to joining the UC Irvine Department of Pediatrics in 2013. Dr. Taylor Lucas is currently Co-Director for Leadership Education to Advance Diversity for African, Black and Caribbean communities (LEAD-ABC), Associate Program Director for the UC Irvine/CHOC Children’s Pediatric Residency Program, and faculty affiliated with the UC Irvine Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center (PERC). During her tenure as faculty with the UCI School of Medicine she has been the recipient of awards such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – Orange County Chapter Young Physician of the Year, the 2019 UC Irvine School of Medicine Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, and the 2020 UC Irvine Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award. Her advocacy and research focus on early life physical activity, early childhood obesity prevention, maternal-child health disparities, and diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine. She is a faculty advisor for Team KiPOW OC, serves on the UC Irvine School of Medicine Clinical Faculty Equity and Diversity Committee, is a Faculty Advisor for the UC Irvine Center for Medical Humanities, co-chair for the retention sub-committee of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Underrepresented Minorities in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education learning community, and volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors for two nonprofit organizations – Shared Harvest Fund- myCovidMD, and Raising Compassionate Leaders.

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Co-Chair

Hi everyone! I’m Tiffany, a 4th year medical student at UCISOM. I’m originally from Southern California, but I ventured to Atlanta for undergrad at Emory University, where I discovered my passion for nutrition and healthy living after picking up a Nutrition Science minor just for fun! I’ve always loved working with kids, and KiPOW

Co-Chair

Hi everyone! I’m Tiffany, a 4th year medical student at UCISOM. I’m originally from Southern California, but I ventured to Atlanta for undergrad at Emory University, where I discovered my passion for nutrition and healthy living after picking up a Nutrition Science minor just for fun! I’ve always loved working with kids, and KiPOW has been an incredible way to stay connected with my community while promoting healthy habits and preventative medicine beyond the walls of the hospital. I’m so honored to be part of KiPOW during my time in med school and hope to make an even bigger impact this year! In my free time, you can find me making new pottery pieces, solving jigsaw puzzles, or snowboarding!

Zaid Ahmed

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Co-Chair

Hi! My name is Zaid, and I’m a fourth-year Biological Sciences major at UCI and an Orange County native. I joined Team KiPOW because of my interest in pediatric health and the opportunity to give back to the community I grew up in. I especially love finding ways to make health education engaging and approachable for students, whil

Co-Chair

Hi! My name is Zaid, and I’m a fourth-year Biological Sciences major at UCI and an Orange County native. I joined Team KiPOW because of my interest in pediatric health and the opportunity to give back to the community I grew up in. I especially love finding ways to make health education engaging and approachable for students, while sparking their interest in their own health. I’m passionate about addressing health disparities, and I hope that teaching students about healthy choices early on can have an impact on students beyond the classroom. In my free time, I enjoy watching football and going to all-you-can-eat buffets.

Taylor Crook, MS3

Tiffany Huang, MS4

Taylor Crook, MS3

Co-Chair

Hello, my name is Taylor Crook and I am a current 3rd year medical student at UCI. I am originally from El Dorado Hills which is just outside of Sacramento. I joined KiPOW because I've always had an interest in making an impact on the younger generation. This program impacts these kids for the rest of their life by giving them the

Co-Chair

Hello, my name is Taylor Crook and I am a current 3rd year medical student at UCI. I am originally from El Dorado Hills which is just outside of Sacramento. I joined KiPOW because I've always had an interest in making an impact on the younger generation. This program impacts these kids for the rest of their life by giving them the tools and knowledge to live a healthy life. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and 1 year old son, playing volleyball, and surfing as much as I can. A fun fact about me is that I lived in Ecuador for 2 years serving a mission for my church which gave me my passion to continue improving my Spanish and working with the Latino community.

Kimia Hashemi, MS1

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

Kimia Hashemi, MS1

School Liaison

Hi! My name is Kimia, and I’m a first-year medical student at UCI. I’m from Laguna Niguel, California. I joined Team KiPOW as a first-year undergraduate student at UCI because I wanted to find a meaningful way to engage with the community, and I knew that providing health education at local elementary schools through Team Ki

School Liaison

Hi! My name is Kimia, and I’m a first-year medical student at UCI. I’m from Laguna Niguel, California. I joined Team KiPOW as a first-year undergraduate student at UCI because I wanted to find a meaningful way to engage with the community, and I knew that providing health education at local elementary schools through Team KiPOW would be both extremely exciting and rewarding. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and baking. A fun fact about me is that I started playing the piano when I was in kindergarten.

Daniela Antonio

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

Kimia Hashemi, MS1

School Liaison

Hi! My name is Daniela, and I graduated from UC Irvine with a BS in Human Biology. I joined Team KiPOW during undergrad and have loved being part of it ever since. Team KiPOW allows me to give back to my community and mentor children about preventative medicine and what it means to have a healthy lifestyle. In my free time, I love to travel, bake, and take workout classes!

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

School Liaison

Hi! My name is Brittany Ojiyi, I am an MS2 at UCI School of Medicine in the PRIME LEAD-ABC program, and I am from Torrance, CA. I joined Team KiPOW because I love working with kids, and I am passionate about health and fitness. In my free time, which seems to be dwindling these days, I enjoy writing, watching and dis

School Liaison

Hi! My name is Brittany Ojiyi, I am an MS2 at UCI School of Medicine in the PRIME LEAD-ABC program, and I am from Torrance, CA. I joined Team KiPOW because I love working with kids, and I am passionate about health and fitness. In my free time, which seems to be dwindling these days, I enjoy writing, watching and discussing films-- I am currently working through French New Wave directors. I like cafes, reading, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. A fun fact about myself is that I am terrified of bugs and I hate butterflies but I have copious amounts of butterfly jewelry.

Christine Lee, MS3

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Brittany Ojiyi, MS2

Research Chair

Hi! I’m Christine (MS3). I loved working with students in college and am excited to continue that through Team Kipow. Elementary school is a formative period, and helping kids build a positive relationship with food and exercise early on is especially meaningful to me. In my free time, I enjoy baking, drawing digital art, and learning new instruments :)

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Research Chair

I grew up in Santa Ana, CA and received a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College! I also have an MPH from BUSPH and MS-BATS degree from UCISOM. I love being able to meaningfully engage young people and provide them with skills to live more health-full lives. The longitudinal experience allows us to form meaningful relat

Research Chair

I grew up in Santa Ana, CA and received a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College! I also have an MPH from BUSPH and MS-BATS degree from UCISOM. I love being able to meaningfully engage young people and provide them with skills to live more health-full lives. The longitudinal experience allows us to form meaningful relationships with the students. In my free time, I like to go on long walks while listening to audiobooks or podcasts! I'm also a fan of film photography and carry my camera everywhere I go. I have been a Disney Magic Key holder for over 4 years.

Sonali Pfile, MS2

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Aileen Navarrete, MS4

Research Chair

My name is Sonali, I am a second year medical student at UCI, originally from the Bay Area! I'm passionate about nutrition education and working with kids, as I plan to become a pediatrician. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, playing board games, and making sour dough bread. A fun fact about myself is that I love to travel to National Parks!

Christopher Liu, MS3

Christopher Liu, MS3

Christopher Liu, MS3

Curriculum Chair

Hey, Chris here! I'm an MS3 originally from Folsom CA, but I actually spent a lot of my childhood growing up in Malaysia. I joined Team KiPOW because I love both working with kids and teaching, and I had a lot of fun teaching engineering and STEM lessons to underserved middle school kids as an undergraduate at USC. In my f

Curriculum Chair

Hey, Chris here! I'm an MS3 originally from Folsom CA, but I actually spent a lot of my childhood growing up in Malaysia. I joined Team KiPOW because I love both working with kids and teaching, and I had a lot of fun teaching engineering and STEM lessons to underserved middle school kids as an undergraduate at USC. In my free time, I like to play table tennis, piano, strategy video games, travel, and try new foods.

Kylie Cox, MS2

Christopher Liu, MS3

Christopher Liu, MS3

Curriculum Chair

Name: Kylie Cox

Major/Program: Medical Student (MD)

Hometown: Shingle Springs, CA

I volunteered with a similar organization in undergrad, and this seemed like a good continuity where I could keep educating younger generations about healthy food/exercise/lifestyle habits!

What I like to do in my free time: beach volleyball, hik

Curriculum Chair

Name: Kylie Cox

Major/Program: Medical Student (MD)

Hometown: Shingle Springs, CA

I volunteered with a similar organization in undergrad, and this seemed like a good continuity where I could keep educating younger generations about healthy food/exercise/lifestyle habits!

What I like to do in my free time: beach volleyball, hiking, reading

Fun fact: I memorized all the US Presidents when I was 2 years old (unfortunately I can no longer do this)

Brianna Bourne, MS2

Christopher Liu, MS3

Brianna Bourne, MS2

Curriculum Chair

Hi! My name is Brianna Bourne, I'm a 2nd year medical student here at UCI, and I grew up in Berkeley, CA. I joined KiPOW because I grew up loving to learn about food and I wanted to share that passion with the next generation--also, PE was my favorite class in K-8! In my free time, I love going on hikes, swimming in the oc

Curriculum Chair

Hi! My name is Brianna Bourne, I'm a 2nd year medical student here at UCI, and I grew up in Berkeley, CA. I joined KiPOW because I grew up loving to learn about food and I wanted to share that passion with the next generation--also, PE was my favorite class in K-8! In my free time, I love going on hikes, swimming in the ocean, reading books, and hanging out with my friends. A fun fact is that I won the OC Marathon this past May!

Ekin Atila

Donya Mohammadi

Donya Mohammadi

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi everyone my name is Ekin and I recently graduated from UCI with a major in biological sciences and minor in biomedical engineering! I'm currently getting my masters in bioengineering with a medical specialization at UCSD, and am so excited to continue serving on Team Kipow's board this year. I joined Team Kipow bec

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi everyone my name is Ekin and I recently graduated from UCI with a major in biological sciences and minor in biomedical engineering! I'm currently getting my masters in bioengineering with a medical specialization at UCSD, and am so excited to continue serving on Team Kipow's board this year. I joined Team Kipow because I believe that meaningful changes can be made for long-term health by educating newer generations from a young age. Early lifestyle changes in exercise frequency and diet go a long way, and it is of my personal interest to make this a fun experience for local kids! In my free time I love to make music, travel, and go to local concerts. One fun fact about me is that I have 3 songs released on Spotify (check us out - The Drive-In)!!

Donya Mohammadi

Donya Mohammadi

Donya Mohammadi

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi! My name is Donya, and I graduated from UCI in 2025 with a degree in Biological Sciences. I was born and raised in OC, and I joined Team KiPOW to help promote healthy living among the community I grew up in. I am super inspired by Team KiPOW's mission to promote healthy lifestyles in local OC schools and am so luck

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi! My name is Donya, and I graduated from UCI in 2025 with a degree in Biological Sciences. I was born and raised in OC, and I joined Team KiPOW to help promote healthy living among the community I grew up in. I am super inspired by Team KiPOW's mission to promote healthy lifestyles in local OC schools and am so lucky to serve as a member of the board again this year! As someone who hopes to go into healthcare, I believe that early education about nutrition, exercise, and wellness can have a lasting impact. I'm excited to continue collaborating with fellow board members and local schools to help empower kids and families to make healthy choices that will benefit them for life. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, and yoga, and a fun fact about me is I'm a huge foodie and love to try new restaurants!

Corey Huang

Donya Mohammadi

Corey Huang

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi everyone! I'm Corey, a recent graduate from the University of Southern California, and I am currently applying to medical school. I grew up in Southern California where I spent much of my childhood learning healthy eating habits and the importance of exercise as an overweight kid. KiPOW has been an awesome way for

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi everyone! I'm Corey, a recent graduate from the University of Southern California, and I am currently applying to medical school. I grew up in Southern California where I spent much of my childhood learning healthy eating habits and the importance of exercise as an overweight kid. KiPOW has been an awesome way for me to share those same lessons with the local communities through fun presentations and activities. After my first year with KiPOW, I am very grateful to be back and look forward to building on this experience for the kids and our volunteers! When I am not working as a scribe/research coordinator at UCI ophthalmology, I am tutoring children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and coaching youth football. In my free time, I love hiking, sports, weightlifting, running, and nature photography!

Elika Seifi

Elika Seifi

Elika Seifi

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi! My name is Elika, and I am originally from Tehran, Iran. I joined KiPOW because I am passionate about advocating for healthy lifestyle choices such as being physically active and prioritizing nutritious food. Through my research at UC Irvine as a Human Biology major, I have learned how strongly access (or lack of

Volunteer Coordinator

Hi! My name is Elika, and I am originally from Tehran, Iran. I joined KiPOW because I am passionate about advocating for healthy lifestyle choices such as being physically active and prioritizing nutritious food. Through my research at UC Irvine as a Human Biology major, I have learned how strongly access (or lack of access) to nutritious food can affect stress levels and overall health. As an aspiring physician, I hope to show the kids that healthy eating and physical activity can be both FUN and EASY! I immensely enjoy working with the kids, and my goal is to help them see KiPOW’s mission as something achievable that they can realistically incorporate into their everyday lives. In my free time, I enjoy making progress towards my yearly reading goal of 25 books, practicing meditation, and spending time outdoors!

An Nguyen

Elika Seifi

Elika Seifi

Public Relations/Outreach Chair

Hello, my name is An. I was born and grew up in Saigon, Vietnam. I recently graduated from UC Irvine with a B.S in Microbiology and Immunology. I love children and I hope to foster a community where health education becomes accessible to students, so they are equipped with the necessary knowledge to protect

Public Relations/Outreach Chair

Hello, my name is An. I was born and grew up in Saigon, Vietnam. I recently graduated from UC Irvine with a B.S in Microbiology and Immunology. I love children and I hope to foster a community where health education becomes accessible to students, so they are equipped with the necessary knowledge to protect themselves from an early age. Being able to fulfill this mission makes being a part of Team KiPOW extremely meaningful. In my free time, I enjoy walking/observing things in nature, learning about herbs, and playing the guitar (especially with my dad!). A fun fact about me is that I can write using both hands until fourth grade. I’m a lefty now!

Crystal Wen, MS2

Katheryn Wetzel, MS2

Katheryn Wetzel, MS2

KiPOW+ Chair

Hi! I'm Crystal and a current MS2 at UCISOM. I went to undergrad at UCSB, and I'm originally from Fremont, CA. I joined KiPOW because I love working with kids and want to go into a pediatric field, and I also want to help kids build healthy lifestyle habits that they can carry with them as they get older. I am also a yoga inst

KiPOW+ Chair

Hi! I'm Crystal and a current MS2 at UCISOM. I went to undergrad at UCSB, and I'm originally from Fremont, CA. I joined KiPOW because I love working with kids and want to go into a pediatric field, and I also want to help kids build healthy lifestyle habits that they can carry with them as they get older. I am also a yoga instructor, so daily movement and exercise is very important to me and is something that I try to instill in the kids! In my free time, I enjoy cuddling with my cats and going on coffee runs with friends!

Katheryn Wetzel, MS2

Katheryn Wetzel, MS2

Katheryn Wetzel, MS2

KiPOW+ Chair

Hi! My name is Kate and I'm a second year medical student at UCISOM (Class of '29) from San Diego. I ended up in Irvine after going to college out in Boston at Brandeis University ('23) and a couple of post-grad years working full-time in Biotech. I'm passionate about nutrition and exercise science and hope to go into GI, whic

KiPOW+ Chair

Hi! My name is Kate and I'm a second year medical student at UCISOM (Class of '29) from San Diego. I ended up in Irvine after going to college out in Boston at Brandeis University ('23) and a couple of post-grad years working full-time in Biotech. I'm passionate about nutrition and exercise science and hope to go into GI, which is what drew me to KiPOW in the first place. Outside of class, you'll find me running, hiking, or at the beach, hosting board game nights, or hopping between coffee shops in search of the perfect study spot.