Ríos-Touma earned her PhD in 2008, from Barcelona University, Spain. She is an aquatic ecologist with more than 25 years of experience studying the biodiversity, ecological functions, quality, restoration, and conservation of rivers and their species. Her current research focuses on Andean streams and rivers, the effects of land use on rivers, the diversity, ecology, and biogeography of Ecuadorian Trichoptera, the ecological quality of urban streams, and on strategies for their restoration. In her research, she works closely with managers, local communities, and non-governmental organizations, addressing their information needs through her research. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in biology, biodiversity, ecology, and environmental management, and mentors undergraduate and postgraduate students in their research.