Her educational background includes Masters of Philosophy degree from University of Cambridge, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Demography from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining UAB, Ria worked for Medical Advantage Group in East Lansing, Michigan, where she served as a consultant and manager for a 200-member independent physician association and a 140-member physician-hospital organization. Her primary research has focused on health care of vulnerable populations, global health, maternal and child health, health disparities, and mental health outcomes. Ria's research has benefited from sociological and economic perspectives gained through training in an interdisciplinary program, and from six years of experience working in the private sector as a consultant to physicians associated with hospital systems.