University of Cambridge Scientist Killed in Spanish Rail Disaster

The aunt of a scientist from the University of Cambridge, Dr. Marta Shahbazi, has offered an emotional tribute, describing her niece as "a light for all of us," according to the BBC UK. Dr. Shahbazi was traveling to Andalusia on October 28 to receive an award for scientific excellence when her train was involved in a crash near Urda, south of Madrid, which resulted in 69 fatalities.

María José Alonso told the BBC that a funeral was held in Madrid on Monday for the mother of two. She stated that hundreds of friends from around the world attended because Marta was described as an amazing friend and lab mate, possessing great energy.

Dr. Shahbazi, who was 41, had been named the recipient of a Spanish Society for Developmental Biology award for her work on early human development, and she was scheduled to collect it at a conference in El Rompido, Andalusia.

Alonso mentioned that her niece had initially planned to travel to the ceremony with her family by car but ultimately chose to take the train. She noted that Shahbazi told her family in Madrid, "no, stay here."

Following the crash, Alonso and her family traveled to the station in Madrid and spent the day there attempting to ascertain what occurred. She mentioned that a friend working in a hospital informed her that all individuals in the hospital had been identified, and she withheld this information from her sister initially.

Alonso stated that the family was notified on Saturday that Shahbazi had been identified. She added that Shahbazi spent the majority of her life in Madrid, where she studied Biology at a public university in the capital, before moving to the UK to work as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Shahbazi resided in Cambridge with her husband and two children. She was an affiliate associate professor who led a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), which is located on the city's biomedical campus.

Alonso, who is a professor of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Santiago de Compostela, recounted how she used to practice conference speeches with her young niece, noting Shahbazi's early interest in life's matters and her perseverance.

The incident in Spain occurred when a high-speed train operated by Renfe, which is state-operated, collided with the rear of a stationary train run by the Iryo company. This event is noted as one of the worst rail disasters in modern European history and Spain's worst crash since 2013, with over 540 people aboard the trains involved.

In a statement, the LMB paid tribute to the "inspiring, talented and passionate scientist" and characterized her death as a "profound shock and a huge loss." The LMB also stated that Shahbazi was a "much-admired role model for a 'mother scientist,' a term she used to describe herself."

Prof. Bertie Gottgens, from the University of Cambridge's Stem Cell Institute, where Shahbazi served as a principal investigator, conveyed that the science community felt "shocked and deeply saddened" by her passing.