The Loke CTR community has learnt with great shock and sadness of the tragic passing of Dr Marta Shahbazi in a train accident near Urda on October 28th 2026.
Marta led a research group at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology since 2020 and was an affiliate PI at the Stem Cell Institute. Before that, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, where she also taught Part II students. She was a valued member of the Loke CTR.
Marta was an exceptionally talented scientist who made seminal contributions to the field of early mammalian development that will have a lasting impact. These include pioneering work extending human embryo culture, investigating the consequences of human embryo aneuploidy, studying how the embryo coordinates tissue morphogenesis and collaborating to establish advanced stem cell-based embryo models. In addition to her academic leadership, she actively contributed to public engagement and dialogues, helping inform understanding of her research and responsible governance. She was a clear rising star in the field, a generous colleague and terrific mentor to early career researchers.
Marta’s outstanding research has been recognised by election to the Young Investigator Programme of the European Molecular Biology Organisation, Suffrage Science Award in Life Sciences, XI Emerging Talent Award from the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK and a prestigious José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta Award from the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology. She was travelling to receive this prize when the tragic accident happened.
Marta was an inspiring role model to many. She identified as a “mother scientist” and wrote insightfully about the challenges and the joys of life as an academic and a mother. She was a deeply valued colleague who touched many lives through her brilliance, her generosity, and her striking positivity. Her luminous personality and infectious enthusiasm will be deeply missed, and her passing leaves a lasting void in our Cambridge community.
Our thoughts are with her husband, their two young children, and her broader family and friends. She leaves behind a research group, collaborators and a community who will miss her tremendously.