From SRUK/CERU, we say goodbye with deep sorrow to Dr. Marta Shahbazi Alonso, who died in the railway accident at Urda (Spain) on 28 October. She was an exceptional scientist, colleague, friend and collaborator, and a much-loved member of our international scientific community.
Marta led a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, where she studied the earliest stages of human development. She was a reference point for the Spanish scientific community abroad: an example of scientific excellence, generosity and commitment to her community. She also stood out for her dedication to strengthening the balance between professional career and family, being a mother and a scientist full time.
Although many of us at SRUK/CERU never had the good fortune to meet her in person, her loss has affected us deeply. Her story was, in many ways, that of so many of us: leaving, building a career far from home, and still feeling Spain close. Marta represented what many of us aspire to be and to build, and that is why her absence hurts as if she were someone close to us.
For women scientists who are mothers, Marta was a role model who showed that it is possible to lead a research group at the highest level and to live motherhood fully, without having to choose between the two. For young Spanish researchers, her career was proof that the training received in Spain can lead to the very top of international research. And for SRUK/CERU’s volunteers, and for those of us who build community from a distance, Marta was an example that joining together, supporting one another and reaching out a hand to those who come after is what allows us to grow together.
For all her work and her contributions to the community, this year she had been recognised as SRUK/CERU’s XI Emerging Talent. That recognition showed that we saw her as part of the present, but also of the future. We had planned to present her with the award in the coming weeks, and today it is impossible not to feel the weight of that truncated future, of everything Marta still had to research, to teach and to support.
Her talent, her dedication and her valuable contributions to science leave an indelible mark, both in the scientific sphere and on the people who were fortunate enough to share her path. We will always remember her with deep admiration, respect and affection.
We invite you to read the heartfelt tribute from her colleagues at the MRC LMB: https://mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/articles/marta-shahbazi-1985-2026/
As well as the reaction of the wider scientific community, which has also echoed her loss: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03564-4
In these very difficult times, we want to convey our most sincere condolences and all our affection to her family, friends, colleagues, collaborators and the whole scientific community that mourns her today, and especially to the Cambridge community. We also extend our remembrance and closeness to all those who died or were affected by the accident, and to their families.
To anyone who needs support, company or simply someone to talk to, we want to remind you that our community is here for you. The doors of SRUK/CERU and our contact channels remain open.
