Parvathy Pillai began her position in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in June 2013, and serves as assistant director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Program while supporting medical student education in the Department of Population Health Sciences.

She received her MD from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and her MPH from the University of Michigan. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Akron Children's Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric infectious disease and a preventive medicine residency at the University of Michigan. She is board certified in public health and general preventive medicine.

She completed a two-year CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program assignment. Following this, she completed a post-EIS practicum to bridge healthcare and public health while assigned to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.