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A prominent University of Alberta researcher and his wife are facing charges related to the alleged sexual assault and confinement of a minor, the Journal has learned.
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Zhixiang Wang, 51, is facing one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual contact with a child for offences allegedly carried out between Nov. 2009 and May 31, 2010, court records show.6 V# h: {. j( ^, w- G5 w \
1 h/ i3 a8 B& H9 y- f/ SHis wife, Xinmei Chen, 49, is charged with one count of unlawful confinement of a child between May 31, 2010 and Jan. 29, 2013, the records show.
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0 N! f, g, I+ DThe same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.% @& Y. j2 | W9 n3 d
0 N8 V" @9 I& |9 W8 MBoth were arrested at Edmonton police headquarters and charged on Feb. 14, police spokesman Scott Pattison said in an email. There are no other potential victims, he added.8 y/ a( O; [6 C$ b+ Q0 c
A1 R" {% `7 U. g: R- i, O2 YWang, an associate professor in the university’s department of medical genetics, was named a senior heritage scholar in 2000 by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.1 o/ M; C4 w! L0 ]0 D$ n: V
' w |8 y! H8 k' r: A' n) ]6 m1 PAccording to an article about Wang in the foundation’s fall 2003 issue, Wang joined the U of A in 1999. He had been studying cell biology of locusts, but according to the article, made the switch to medical-related research in 1994 while pursuing post-doctoral research at the University of Toronto.* T* s0 [% M) Q" W4 C3 H- s% s
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At the time, the article says, Wang’s research focused on a protein found in most body fluids that, in high levels, can lead to the development of breast cancer.
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He has numerous academic publications to his name, including several authored with Chen, who is listed on the U of A website as a technician working in Wang’s lab.4 f- i% K: C; W2 t* s0 g- {# O
7 ]8 m8 l" a6 B3 u8 pWang’s cancer research is considered among the most promising in Canada. In 2005, he was awarded a grant from the Canadian Cancer Society worth more than $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.8 N* c. u, [& A7 i. x- E
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U of A spokesman Bryan Alary confirmed in an email that both Wang and Chen are university employees currently on leave.
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The university considers cases where an employee is charged criminally on a case-by-case basis, Alary said.
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$ y: `/ `: e6 ?& b“Factors the university would take into account include whether there is a real or perceived connection between the charges and the person’s employment and whether the person’s presence on campus posed a real or perceived danger to the university or members of its community,” he said." y3 t1 ^/ U& z' M, j$ W
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Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.7 F+ b, L4 w! o/ E+ o
7 {' X) t9 R$ T5 mTheir next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.7 v0 d% I) |/ {. b* n3 X# u
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