CAMBRIDGE SCIENTIST, 41, STILL MISSING AFTER DEADLY SPAIN TRAIN CRASH — “WE ARE CLINGING TO HOPE,” BROTHER SAYS

Dr. Marta Shahbazi, a Spanish biologist leading a research group at Cambridge University, was travelling aboard the Renfe train involved in the devastating collision near Toledo. Her family is desperately waiting for answers.

A FAMILY LEFT WAITING FOR NEWS

A respected scientist working at the University of Cambridge remains missing following the devastating high-speed train collision in Spain.

Dr. Marta Shahbazi, 41, was travelling aboard a Renfe AVE train when it collided with a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in the province of Toledo, on October 28, 2026.

According to her brother, Carlos Shahbazi, Marta was seated in the front carriage of the Renfe service travelling from Madrid towards Andalusia.

Days after the collision, her family still had no confirmation of her whereabouts or condition.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El País, Carlos described the family’s desperate uncertainty.

“We know nothing about her. The odds are very slim, but we are clinging to a final shred of hope,” he said.

Her parents had provided DNA samples to assist authorities with the identification process.

SHE WAS TRAVELLING TO RECEIVE A SCIENTIFIC AWARD

Marta had travelled to Spain for an important professional occasion.

She was due to attend a conference organised by the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology in Huelva, where she was expected to receive an award recognising her scientific contributions.

Earlier in October, she had also been named the recipient of the 2026 Emerging Talent Award from the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom.

Instead of celebrating those achievements, her family and colleagues were left waiting for news after the railway disaster.

A SCIENTIST WHO HELPED SHED LIGHT ON EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Marta was born in León, Spain, and built an international career in biological research.

She leads her own research group at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

Her work focuses on the earliest stages of human development, investigating how embryos develop after fertilisation and why some pregnancies fail during their first weeks.

One of her team’s major achievements involved growing human embryos in laboratory conditions for up to 13 days — research that helped scientists study a stage of development that had previously remained difficult to observe.

Her work has contributed to a deeper understanding of early human development and has attracted international recognition.

A MOTHER OF TWO

Away from the laboratory, Marta is also a mother of two young children, aged three and seven.

Her brother described her as a wonderful, affectionate and happy person, as well as a tireless worker.

Those words have been echoed by colleagues who have shared messages of support for her family and remembered her contributions to the scientific community.

The Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, where Marta previously worked, also expressed its concern and sent support to her loved ones.

THE SEARCH AND INVESTIGATION CONTINUE

The collision involved a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo service near Urda.

The disaster left dozens of people dead and many others injured. Authorities continued working to identify victims and establish what happened in the moments leading up to the crash.

Investigators have been examining signalling failures and decisions made by railway control staff after the safety system experienced problems.

For Marta’s family, however, the wider investigation cannot answer the most immediate question.

They are still waiting to learn what happened to the 41-year-old scientist who boarded the train for what should have been a journey to an important moment in her career.

As her loved ones hold on to hope, colleagues and the wider scientific community continue to stand alongside them.