Chitra holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University and a Master's degree in Radiation Oncology from the University of Oxford. She worked with Beydest Pvt. Ltd. on the efficiency of Sphagnum in the reduction of suspended particulate matter which was further used in technologies to tackle the AQI. She also worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Oxford where she studied the role of transcription factors in DNA damage and repair pathways in various cancer cell lines. Her PhD research involves development of tissue-specific nanocarriers, a project funded by Astra Zeneca.