 鲜花( 3)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
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.
- _$ C4 ^, Z9 q0 p( [
# t8 E0 N2 O8 j5 }* x# s" |7 t4 FZhixiang 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.1 K1 y1 F7 |( P e3 @
9 b2 ?: p" U3 H
His 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.
2 P! c0 V4 s# T6 W4 O6 n- C4 \
& [; l, S2 I1 K: lThe same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.
+ L: T( D) @, b9 A
) [" O" D R/ L8 B5 A }8 K+ j- BBoth 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.
2 B5 W) j) S, Z5 [* P- U) h( ~" `# G4 q* ^
Wang, 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.
4 Q" e) g8 t4 i6 [' S# P4 P
; \3 o- v: D: J/ C! V/ v4 p& NAccording 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./ \/ q; L) h" t* s/ j
4 A! R3 P; t8 x4 U% zAt 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.
. U4 G$ G0 N4 }4 J, C4 Z) S- h9 j' P5 c2 m( u
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.1 ]6 z6 _" h% d9 q. [0 v& @
p, V" k' h: e* w- I: ~6 t
Wang’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 $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.
6 R! ?' ?4 _( Y- w& i4 _
5 V! R6 M7 d6 j* UU of A spokesman Bryan Alary confirmed in an email that both Wang and Chen are university employees currently on leave.
8 W* |& X7 Z' z/ Q! y
! C+ o0 C- \3 ^# l. |The university considers cases where an employee is charged criminally on a case-by-case basis, Alary said.
L6 H% d; p5 B. \' }: |* C" g s" i5 \" }( O- J! _
“Factors the university would take into account include whether there is a real or perceived connection between the charges and the person’s employment and whether the person’s presence on campus posed a real or perceived danger to the university or members of its community,” he said.
7 }. K- `5 x5 g$ ]9 k0 ^7 G1 {0 \5 ]% \2 Y. z
Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.
# p5 L, T, o* |; Y2 F# G `3 x) w" b! ^ t, q
Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.' [& q# Y2 `9 }0 e
% R, R N4 l5 Z" P% \+ s- ~- b
|
|