Siyu Ru, MA

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Siyu Ru is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan, under the supervision of Dr. Colleen Dell. Her research interests include human-animal studies, dis/ability studies, ageing issues in China, the health of Chinese immigrant women in Canada, and substance use.

Siyu’s dissertation focuses on the interactions between people with disabilities and their companion animals in China, and how the human-animal bond influences the life and identity of people with disabilities. A One Health framework is applied to investigate the relationships among the social environment, people with disabilities, and the role of companion animals. She has also been a student volunteer in the University of Saskatchewan Paws Your Stress Therapy Dog program. 

Siyu grew up in Xi’an, China, the city famous for its rich and culturally significant history. In 2013, she participated in the joint MA program between Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Saskatchewan. After finishing the first year of study in China, she moved to Saskatoon in 2014 to continue her MA program in sociology. The topic of her master thesis was Cannabis Use: Insights from Social Control Theory and the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey. She received her master’s degree in 2016 and continued on to her PhD program in the same department.