Dr Marta Shahbazi, a Cambridge researcher known for her work on early human development, was among the 69 people killed in a train collision near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province, on 28 October.

The 41-year-old scientist had been traveling to El Rompido in Huelva to receive an award recognizing scientific excellence from the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology. Her journey ended in a disaster that has prompted tributes from colleagues in Britain and Spain.

Shahbazi led a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and was an affiliate associate professor at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. Her research explored the earliest stages of human embryo development, including how disruptions to those processes can contribute to pregnancy loss.

Dr Marta Shahbazi, group leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and affiliate associate professor at the University of Cambridge (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)

In its tribute, the laboratory described her enthusiasm and scientific talent, saying her death represented a devastating loss. The Spanish research center CiMUS also confirmed her death and offered condolences to her relatives and collaborators.

Her career brought her from doctoral research at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center to Cambridge, where she later established her own laboratory group in 2020. Her contributions to developmental biology have earned international recognition.

Investigation into the collision continues.

The crash involved a Renfe AVE service and an Iryo train that had stopped on the track. The impact derailed carriages, with two falling down an embankment, according to initial reporting. Rail services connecting Madrid with Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended following the collision.

Authorities reported 69 deaths. Figures released on 29 October indicated that 50 injured people remained in hospital, including 15 in a particularly serious condition.

Spain observed three days of national mourning. Investigators are examining the failure of a railway safety system and the instructions issued before the Renfe train resumed its journey. The investigation will need to establish how those events led to the collision and what measures are needed to prevent another disaster.