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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." p5 ^8 e' w. a }
$ Z3 ?" a! R; sZhixiang 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. M' J9 h% W9 @+ A2 w
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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.
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The same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.4 q* v2 Q2 ` `7 M2 U' 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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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.9 X- E! } E; z8 w h
3 q, R" t. t6 C5 B2 K3 j9 YAccording 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.
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% [7 E0 l- g6 W' k+ IAt 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., w9 @% v3 ]7 z
( `+ \5 m3 f/ W+ g' Z2 ~* zHe 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 $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.4 T; a$ H! o- b( w9 q0 ]
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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.6 J& X5 O+ `* @! [
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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.+ ?) r) W+ z) v3 Z5 m+ O3 C
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Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.
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& o& b* {0 @4 N4 h2 Q* t) ]5 |+ BTheir next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
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