[5][2] Helmi was educated at Leiden University where she was awarded a PhD in 2000 with a thesis on the formation of the galactic halo, supervised by Tim de Zeeuw and Simon White.

[6][4] Since 2003 Helmi has been faculty member at the University of Groningen, and has been a full professor since 2014.

Her research focuses investigates the evolution and dynamics of galaxies, in particular the Milky Way, using locations, velocities, ages, and chemical abundances of stars to understand the formation process of galaxies, known as galactic archaeology.

In her research, Helmi uses computer simulations as well as observational data from for example the Gaia space telescope.

In 2021, Helmi won the Brouwer Award from the Division on Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society.