She was also the eldest child with a younger brother which meant having more responsibilities in an Indian family as you become the face of the new generation.

[4] Her father Indra Narayan Mookerjee was a doctor and was very supportive of Asima and her brother’s education, which was rare at the time.

In 1936, she did her higher studies in chemistry, passing with honors distinction, from the Scottish Church College of the University of Calcutta.

[5] In an era when the women did not commonly pursue higher education, Asima chose to study Chemistry.

She went on to work with Lásló Zechmeister at University of Wisconsin and Caltech for her post-doctoral research on biologically active alkaloids.

At that time, it was very difficult for scientists to work due to fewer funds from the government and Asima had to invest her own money to send samples for analysis outside India.

[8] She was the first female to receive a doctorate and even started a chemistry department in the Lady Brabourne College of the University of Calcutta.