The aunt of Dr. Marta Shahbazi, a University of Cambridge scientist who died in a Spanish rail disaster, has described her niece as "a light for all of us." Dr. Shahbazi, 41, was traveling to collect an award for scientific excellence in Andalusia on October 28 when her train crashed into a stationary one near Urda, south of Madrid, killing 69 people.
María José Alonso, Dr. Shahbazi's aunt and a professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela, spoke to the BBC following a funeral held in Madrid for the mother of two. "Hundreds of friends came from all over the world... because Marta was an amazing lab mate and amazing friend," Alonso said. "She was the friendliest person you can imagine, with lots of energy."
Dr. Shahbazi had been recognized with a Spanish Society for Developmental Biology award for her significant contributions to the study of early human development. She was scheduled to receive the award at a conference in El Rompido, Andalusia. Alonso recalled that her niece had initially considered driving to the ceremony with her family but opted for the train instead.
An affiliate associate professor, Dr. Shahbazi led a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at the University of Cambridge. Alonso remembered her niece's early fascination with science, recounting how even as a young child, Dr. Shahbazi would ask her to rehearse conference presentations and manage slides. "She was highly perseverant and highly determined," Alonso added.
The crash, which involved a state-operated Renfe high-speed train colliding with a stationary Iryo company train, is considered one of the most severe rail disasters in modern European history and Spain's worst since 2013. More than 540 people were aboard both trains at the time of the incident.
The LMB issued a statement calling Dr. Shahbazi an "inspiring, talented and passionate scientist" and describing her death as a "profound shock and a huge loss." The laboratory noted she was a "much-admired role model for a 'mother scientist,' a term she used to describe herself." Prof. Bertie Gottgens, of the University of Cambridge's Stem Cell Institute (CSCI), where Dr. Shahbazi was a principal investigator, conveyed that the scientific community was "shocked and deeply saddened" by her passing.