Executive Directors

The Avicenna Executive Directors mediate the relationship between the Avicenna Board of Directors and the volunteer team leaders. They work to improve inter-team communication and promote collaboration, support team leaders in their initiatives, and help guide organization-level goals

Zahraa Rasheed

Zahraa is a local who grew up in the CU area. She attended UIUC for 3 years and received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2025. She is committed to giving back to her community and started volunteering with Avicenna when she was in high school. She served as Co-Director of Outreach for two years before stepping into the Executive Director role in 2025. She is currently a first year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

zrasheed@avicennahealth.org

Nikita Chigullapally

Nikita is a third-year medical student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine passionate about providing culturally sensitive care to underserved communities. She completed her undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a medical assistant for three years before starting medical school. She has been with Avicenna since 2024, first as a Primary Care Intake Volunteer, then as Women's Health Clinic Manager, before stepping into the Executive Director role in 2026.

nikita@avicennahealth.org

Laya Krishnan

Laya is a fourth-year medical student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and worked as a software engineer and a medical assistant in immediate care before starting medical school in 2023. She joined Avicenna as a Primary Care Intake Volunteer in 2023, served as Clinic Manager in 2025, and will step into the Executive Director role in 2026.

laya.krishnan@avicennahealth.org