The head of the neurosurgical Pituitary Disorders Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. Kristen Riley also serves as director of the school's Adult Epilepsy Surgery Program. With decades of experience in the medical field, she treats a diverse range of tumors, including intracranial neoplasms and metastatic tumors in the brain. Dr. Kristen Riley employs practices such as stereotactic radiosurgery, intraoperative mapping, and endoscopy to provide minimally invasive treatments.

Named one of the best doctors in America in 2017, Dr. Kristen Riley has also other earned honors, such as listing on the B-Metro Top Women in Medicine. She maintains membership in professional organizations such as the American Epilepsy Society, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Neurosurgical Society of Alabama, and also serves as secretary for the Southern Neurological Society.

As an active researcher, she focuses on research related to surgical treatment of pituitary tumors and epilepsy. She currently has grants from the NIH Disorders and Stroke and the NIH National Cancer Institute to fund her efforts.