Cambridge scientist dies in Spanish train crash near Madrid
Dr Marta Shahbazi was travelling to collect a scientific excellence award when the train accident killed 69 people.
Dr Marta Shahbazi, an award-winning researcher from the University of Cambridge, died on Wednesday during a train crash near Urda, south of Madrid, according to BBC News.
The accident occurred when a state-operated Renfe high-speed train hit a stationary Iryo company train. The crash resulted in 69 deaths.
Dr Shahbazi was travelling to El Rompido in Andalusia to receive a Spanish Society for Developmental Biology award. She was an affiliate associate professor at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) and a principal investigator at the Stem Cell Institute (CSCI).
The LMB described her as an inspiring and talented scientist whose research focused on human embryos and cell biology. The laboratory stated her death was a profound shock and a huge loss.
Dr Shahbazi had previously completed her PhD at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre. She later moved to the University of Cambridge as a post-doctoral fellow and joined the LMB in 2020.
Professor Bertie Gottgens, director of the CSCI, said the community was shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of the highly respected researcher.