A*Star scholar accused of trying to poison classmates in Stanford Uni

An A*Star scholar has been arrested and charged in California after she allegedly poisoned herself and her classmates.

Miss Xiangyu Ouyang, 26, a graduate student at Stanford's School of Medicine, had put paraformaldehyde (PFA) in her drinking water as well as into her classmates' water bottles.

PFA, a commonly used substance in biology, is lethal if ingested in sizeable amounts.

She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and is no longer a student at Stanford.

The second-year Singaporean student was described as a quiet girl with no friends and had once asked a classmate what it was like to have a boyfriend.

She had graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in biochemistry.

It was revealed in court papers that she had been suffering from severe insomnia, dizziness, depression and a disconnection from reality.

Her parents are believed to be researchers.

A spokesman for A*Star said it was aware of the incident and is deeply concerned. No action will be taken until the proceedings have been concluded.

Miss Ouyang had also allegedly destroyed some of the projects that the other cancer biology students were working on.

TNP understands she is an only child, and her mother has flown to the US to be with her.

This article was first published on April 1, 2015.
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