A highly promising British scientist, Kirsty Smitten, died at the age of 29 from angiosarcoma – a rare form of heart cancer. The woman carried out research into a new class of antibiotics that, according to her alma mater, the University of Sheffield, represents a “new frontier” in the fight against human resistance to antibiotics.
Kirsty Smitten’s death was announced by her brother Matt Smitten on social media. “It is with great sadness that I write that my beautiful sister Kirsty Smitten passed away early on Wednesday, October 4th. She bravely fought aggressive cancer to the end, surrounded by her loved ones. Words cannot describe how much I will miss her,” he wrote. The publication also includes several photographs of his sister.
The woman’s death was announced by AFC Norton Woodseats Ladies Sports Club, of which the 29-year-old was a member. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the unfortunate loss of a tough battle (…) club captain Kirsty (…) She was a wonderful friend and a lovely woman who would do anything for us. This team is Kirsty and Kirsty is everything to us. It wouldn’t be the same without her,” they wrote. .
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Smitten was conducting promising research
In April this year, the University of Sheffield, where Smitten received her doctorate, announced that the woman had recently been diagnosed with angiosarcoma – a malignant tumor – with a prognosis of three to six months. It has been described as “a very rare and serious form of heart cancer”. At the same time, the university stressed that the 29-year-old was conducting “world-leading research into new types of antibiotics” at the same time. They set a “new front” in the fight against antibiotic resistance, which causes 1.2 million deaths each year and could trigger another pandemic. For his work in 2020, Smitten was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Science and Health in Europe.
The 29-year-old sports club said the woman had recently undergone open-heart surgery to remove an angiosarcoma. The group decided to organize a charity match to raise money for the 29-year-old’s supported sarcoma organization. The match will be held on October 14.
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