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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.* v+ l7 ~! ~1 t8 |! v8 a
1 V% Y3 }/ f$ j |5 C) }) U: EHis 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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The same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.1 f7 W+ @1 y1 o# J0 d& b6 |" h5 N
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Both 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.
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$ g% l) M: f S3 F6 t' mWang, 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.
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R, X1 s4 }1 E: U/ J' X3 @2 H) eAccording 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.- J9 ~5 E: o5 h P( d1 I7 N% k* \
+ l' ?0 D |( S/ |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.
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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 $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.' ^, R: g& B0 E+ m ~% _% a7 I
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U of A spokesman Bryan Alary confirmed in an email that both Wang and Chen are university employees currently on leave.
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The university considers cases where an employee is charged criminally on a case-by-case basis, Alary said.
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“Factors the university would take into account include whether there is a real or perceived connection between the charges and the person’s employment and whether the person’s presence on campus posed a real or perceived danger to the university or members of its community,” he said.3 a4 V; H8 p3 o' s$ E3 ^6 i* A# B
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Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.% K6 L( i4 o8 ]- ^) M
/ Q! x: [8 E' z2 X) x5 x8 K N7 gTheir next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
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