She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, UK. She contributes from sociology to the study of ethnicities and nationalisms. She is a pioneer in comparative research between Mexico and China on issues of ethnicity and territorial autonomy. She is the author of numerous books and academic articles, and is a professor at UNAM and the Mora Institute. She is the founder and coordinator of the Consultation System of Indigenous Organizations and Ethnic Conflicts in the Americas www.sicetno.org; she is a tenured researcher at the Institute of Social Research, national researcher level III and member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.