A University of Cambridge scientist and mother of two has been named among the 69 people killed in the devastating train crash in Spain. Dr Marta Shahbazi, a British-Spanish researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, was on a train that collided with another near the town of Urda in central Spain on Wednesday, October 28.
Journey to Receive Scientific Prize
Dr Shahbazi, who was born in Spain before later moving to the UK, carried out research into the early stages of human embryo development, according to the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency, which the LMB is a part of. The UKRI said Dr Shahbazi, a mum to two young children, "wrote eloquently about balancing her family and career", and served as a "much-admired role model for a 'mother scientist', a term she used to describe herself".
She had been due to receive the scientific excellence prize from the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology at a conference which began the day the crash took place.
Tributes from Colleagues
The LMB paid tribute to the "inspiring" scientist, who was a group leader in its Cell Biology Division and an affiliate associate professor at the University of Cambridge. Dr Shahbazi is listed on the university's website as a principal investigator at its Stem Cell Institute.
The laboratory said: "The LMB is deeply saddened by the tragic death of our colleague Marta Shahbazi, group leader in the Cell Biology Division. Marta was on a train that collided with another near Urda, Spain, on Wednesday October 28, as she was travelling to receive the scientific excellence prize from the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology. Marta was an inspiring, talented and passionate scientist. Her death is a profound shock and a huge loss. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this extremely difficult time. The LMB is offering support to members of its community as they navigate this tragic loss."
Prof Bertie Gottgens, the Director of the University of Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (CSCI), said its community is "shocked and deeply saddened" to hear of their colleague's passing. "Marta led her primary research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) alongside her roles as an affiliate principal investigator and affiliate assistant professor at the CSCI," he added. "Across both institutes, she was highly respected for her pioneering research on early human development and valued for her collaborative spirit. Her creativity, passion, and generosity will be greatly missed."
Crash Details and National Mourning
At least 69 people are thought to have lost their lives in the disaster, with more than 100 people injured, many of them seriously. It marked the country's second high-speed rail crash this year. Both collisions occurred on the same line between the central city of Madrid, Spain's capital, and Seville, in the Andalucia region in the south of the country.
Three days of national mourning were observed from Thursday, with the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez describing the incident as a "tragedy" and promising an investigation. He said: "I'd like to let all Spaniards know that every institution that is part of the state — from the smallest municipality to the government of Spain — is working day and night. Not only to provide a response to the families of the victims, but also, of course, to uncover every last detail of this tragedy and to strengthen safety measures so that something like this never happens again."
