Irina graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University. She worked at the Research and Design Institute in the Master Planning Office of Moscow (Deputy Director since 2003; Deputy Head of the Research and Design Department before 2023). From 2010 to 2011, she worked as a deputy head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Moscow City Government.
Currently she is the director at the Institute of Regional Studies and Urban Planning at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, as well as Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Professor at the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Irina is a scientific supervisor, author and contributor of more than 600 research papers and urban development projects on strategic and territorial planning, land use, urban planning, sustainable development policy, environmental and economic problems, smart cities. She authors methodological and advisory documents.
Irina produces monographs, scientific publications, and textbooks on regional economics, urban problems, strategic planning, etc.
She is the winner of the Moscow Government Award 2006 in the field of environmental protection; three times winner of the A. Gutnov prize for urban planning, recipient of the medal In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow (1997), Badge of Honor II degree, she bears the title of Honorary Environmentalist of Moscow (2004). She was awarded Honorary Diplomas by the Mayor of Moscow, ministries, Moscow Architecture Agency, and the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Mrs. Ilina is an academician of the International Academy of Architecture, member of the Russian Ecological Academy, and an Honoured Worker of the Environmental Protection of Moscow.
Irina participated in working groups on territory development and strategic planning in the State Duma, Federal Assembly, and Governmental Industries of Russia.