A Harvard Medical School professor has been arrested and charged with assaulting a pregnant woman on two separate occasions, including an incident where she was allegedly forced to remain in a kitchen with a gas leak.
Feng Tian, 38, an assistant professor of neurology, was taken into custody last week. According to an incident report obtained by The Harvard Crimson, the woman told police she was attacked and threatened with a knife in April, while she was nine months pregnant. During this alleged assault, Tian reportedly slapped her, shoved her onto a bed, and pinned her down with his forearm against her throat. He then allegedly confronted her with a large kitchen knife and forced her to eat in the kitchen while gas leaked from an extinguished stove burner. She stated that when she attempted to open the windows, Tian closed them.
Tian faces multiple charges, including two counts each of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a pregnant victim, and domestic assault and battery, as well as one count of threatening to commit a crime. He appeared in Brookline District Court on July 15 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has since been released without bail, with strict conditions including a no-contact order with the victim.
The first alleged incident of violence reportedly occurred in 2023, months before Tian began his role at Harvard Medical School and founded a laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The woman told investigators during that earlier incident that Tian allegedly struck her and threatened her with a knife.
According to the police report, after the April incident, the woman fled the home and sought medical treatment. Tian allegedly visited her at the hospital. It was there she disclosed the alleged abuse to staff, who helped her move to a shelter. Thirteen days after leaving the home, she gave birth. The woman also told police that Tian had allegedly forced her to sign a proxy form granting him authority over medical decisions during her delivery, though she later removed him from the form and asked hospital staff to exclude him from attending the birth.
A temporary restraining order was served to Tian in June. Weeks later, the victim reported the alleged attacks to Salem police, who then referred the case to Brookline police. Police interviewed the woman on July 14, which led to a warrant for Tian's arrest.
Tian heads a laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School that researches susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and glaucoma. The Glaucoma Foundation recently announced Tian as a recipient of a research grant for a study examining neuroprotective pathways. Tian is quoted on the foundation's website as expressing gratitude for the support and hope to identify new therapeutic strategies to preserve vision.
His biography indicates over 20 years of research experience. It remains unclear if he is still employed or overseeing his laboratory following his arrest. Tian is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on September 16.