Aashra was born and mostly raised in Mumbai, India. She earned her BSc in Zoology and Biochemistry from the Xavier's College Mumbai and a MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Leeds where she researched algae community compositions in mesocosm systems. On returning to India, she became involved with social work revolving around livelihood development, nature education and curriculum design along with ecosystem restoration in the Western Himalayas. She has also worked on curriculum design and contributed to long-term rainforest fragment monitoring efforts in the Western Ghats. Aashra's PhD with the University of Minnesota aims to take on an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding complex socio-ecological systems in rural communities that underpin restoration efforts in the Western Himalayas. She hopes to dissect participation, stewardship and cooperation between stakeholders while exploring solutions that enhance restoration outcomes in the landscape. Aside from this, she enjoys Indian classical dance (Odissi), rock climbing and bird-watching.