MU visiting scholar, research specialist die in hotel pool drowning

Posted to Police Beat by Jimmy Hibsch at 12:06 a.m., July 5, 2011

A Columbia married couple was found drowned at a Days Inn hotel in Branson early Sunday morning.

The victims were identified Monday as Fanjun Meng and Chunyang Zhang, both of whom were affiliated with MU. Meng was a visiting scholar from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing Institute of Genomics and his wife Zhang was a research specialist. Both worked in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences.

Meng was involved in a research project that found a possible link between Parkinson's disease and pesticides.

"We are extremely saddened by the loss of these dear colleagues and friends and offer our sincerest condolences to their family," department chairman Douglas Anthony said in a statement.