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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.# k( Z, a* w( P' b$ J* v, y
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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.
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4 v, V! ?) k0 X$ g4 R4 ~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.. \9 Y; b2 F* ^' H& @5 s
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The same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.6 S! T# n( a ^
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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.0 e- p5 p. D9 m# X0 {
- X8 [) K9 W2 W, uWang, 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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" |' c5 ]' u0 E" w. c. r) {2 V; Y9 mAccording 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.2 a5 Y4 p. H7 ]
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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 b8 \- g, V5 r0 c$ Q
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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 $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.0 t+ N- {+ h$ J
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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.. B5 ]; p% v( O) P
p6 }/ ~2 P0 K: `“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.
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Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.& H# N' C ?4 q3 D! A7 U
, ]+ a$ I* m- K# D9 k. }Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
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