Dr. Lauren Zeitels and a friend were killed in Canada earlier this month
A doctor who was the valedictorian of her high school class in New Jersey 15 years ago died in an avalanche in Canada earlier this month, according to reports.
Lauren Zeitels Lauren Zeitels, 32, and her friend Victor Fedorov, a fellow internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital were killed March 12 at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, BostonGlobe.com said.
Zeitels finished at the top of her class at Watchung Hills High School in 2002 before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.
She then received a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Zeitels later graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
A release from the hospital called Zeitels, "a strong advocate for scientific investigation driven by curiosity, and fueled by a desire to offer hope to those suffering from disease."
Zeitels was an avid hiker and had taken avalanche safety training course, the Globe said. She and Fedorov were carrying transceivers, a piece of safety equipment used to locate avalanche victims.
"Lauren enthusiastically embraced all life had to offer. She loved people, science, travel, and experiencing new cultures," the hospital said.
Fedorov was born in Moscow and was raised in Richmond, Va., the Globe said.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.