Riitta Niemi began her career immediately after graduating with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, working as a dairy practitioner. Her enthusiasm for dairy cows led her to work as a clinical veterinarian at the University of Helsinki ambulatory Production Animal Hospital. While working there, she completed her post-graduate Finnish specialization degree in Production Animal Medicine. The topic of her doctoral research was dry cow management and udder health, which was closely associated with her previous professional experience in dairy production medicine, health care, and management. She completed her PhD at the University of Helsinki in 2022 and was awarded by the University of Helsinki for her doctoral thesis. She currently works as a clinical teacher at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where she teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students.