Dr. Kamala Sohonie

Time period:

20th century

Subject:

Biology/Biochemistry

Biography:

Kamala Sohonie was born in 1912 in Bombay, India. She was a biochemist, and the first Indian woman to get a PhD. in a stem related field from Cambridge University. She got her BSc in chemistry and physics. At the time, there was a lot of gender bias that Kamala encountered, but she was inspired by her father and uncle to continue persevering. This led to Kamala being the first woman to attend the Indian Institute of Science where her work led her to earn her MSc, before heading to Cambridge University. In 1939, she returned to India and joined Lady Hardinge Medical College as a professor and department head, and then moved on to the Nutrition Research Lab. Last, she joined the Royal Institute of Science. She was awarded the Rashtrapati Award for her work on “neera” (palm nectar). She died in 1998.

Summary of their contributions:

Kamala Sohonie made multiple significant contributions to STEM. Her most notable achievement was her work on “neera” (palm nectar), which helped significantly when introduced in the diet of malnourished children and pregnant women. This earned Kamala the Rashtrapati Award for the impact it had on public health. In addition, Kamala discovered the cellular enzyme cytochrome C while working under Dr. Robin Hill at Cambridge University – it was involved in the oxidation of all plant cells. She also conducted research on proteins present in food items and published various scientific papers outlining her research on the effect of vitamins. Lastly, Kamala’s dedication to pursuing higher education was the reason that the Indian Institute of Science opened their doors to female candidates after Kamala proved that women were just as capable as the men in this field at the time. Kamala Sohonie’s contributions spanned more than just lab research, and she is still regarded as a trailblazing scientist.

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum

Kamala Sohonie’s work on the cellular enzyme cytochrome C can be integrated into the BC Science Curriculum in Anatomy and Physiology 12 as the content covers metabolism and enzymes. This can be related to the broader topic of biological molecules. As well, Kamala’s work on proteins connects to the Anatomy and Physiology 12 content of proteins and their relationship to the structure and function of all cells. Her work on “neera” concerns human health which is in the same grade 12 curriculum (lifestyle differences and their effects on human health). Her work can easily be integrated into any other science curriculum involving human health or biological processes.

Curricular competencies for which Kamala’s work could be used include:

• Questioning and predicting:
  • Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal, local, or global interest
• Processing and analyzing data and information:

• Analyze cause-and-effect relationships

• Evaluating:
  • Consider the changes in knowledge over time as tools and technologies have changed
  • Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations
• Applying and Innovating:
  • Contribute to care for self, others, community and word through individual or collaborative approaches
  • Contribute to finding solutions to problems at a local and/or global level through inquiry

References:

CHATTOPADHYAY, D. (2020, November). Kamala Sohonie : First Indian woman Phd in science. ResearchGate.    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345317589_KAMALA_SOHONIE_FIRST_INDIAN_WOMAN_PHD_IN_SCIENCE

Kamala SOHONIE. scientificwomen.net. (n.d.). https://scientificwomen.net/women/sohonie-kamala-118