A ‘PROMISING’ university academic died from cyanide poisoning, a court heard.

The inquest was opened today into the death of 27-year-old Erin Shepherd, whose body was found in a flat in Magdalen Road, East Oxford.

The discovery on January 20 sparked emergency services to shut the road and had previously been described as a ‘chemical incident’.

Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter told Oxford Coroner’s Court Miss Shepherd was a post-doctoral research assistant whose registered address was in Peterborough, where she was born.

He said cause of death appeared to be cyanide poisoning.

Oxford University spokesman Stephen Rouse said Miss Shepherd completed her DPhil in chemistry at Corpus Christi College and just started as a paid academic in the chemistry department.

He confirmed she had been living in the flat where she was found.

A statement from Mark Brouard, head of the chemistry department, and Steve Cowley, president of Corpus Christi, said: “Erin’s friends and colleagues have been greatly saddened by her tragic death.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with her family at this time. Erin completed an outstanding DPhil degree and had just embarked on a highly-promising academic career.”

The inquest was adjourned until April 19.