The ethology and welfare research scientist Prairie Swine Centre has recruited to replace Jennifer Brown brings, quite literally, a world of experience.
Jen-Yun Chou, originally from Taiwan, was introduced to Western Canada’s swine production leaders as an animal welfare session speaker at Banff Pork Seminar in January. That is, she was introduced to those whom she had not already encountered through the broad base of her research activities.
Chou’s education and research have taken her from Thailand to Austria, Scotland, the United States and Ireland. At the time that PSC began seeking a new scientist, she had been living in Dublin while working on a fellowship in Austria on social behaviour in pigs and on a post-doctoral thesis on tail biting in Ireland.
Brown’s and Chou’s shared interests had brought them together at a number of conferences in the past, so they were already familiar with each other when PSC started its search for a new ethology and welfare researcher. Once Chou was confirmed as the successful candidate, it took a few months longer than anticipated to have her admitted to Canada for what would be a permanent position.
The Saskatoon-area facility had hoped to bring Chou on board in the fall of 2023, but it was not until early in 2024 that the immigration application was approved, with Chou finally able to take her new position in March of that year.
Since then, she has enjoyed a professional relationship and a growing friendship with Brown, who continues to work at PSC, close supervising a graduate student and taking part in some research projects.
Chou says her path to swine ethology and animal welfare started in a totally unrelated area. In Taiwan, she had completed an undergraduate degree in literature and then completed a master’s program in science and technology in society.

“It was basically using the discipline to study scientists. So, I kind of got involved with animals at first, by working with dogs. In Taiwan, we have quite a big stray population and a lot of issues around these animals.”
Feral dogs roaming the university campus were not pets by any means, but they had learned to exploit humans for food.
“I started studying them, and then I wrote a master’s dissertation on the human-dog relationship and . . . that difference between the (pet) dog versus a campus dog, and it kind of got me working with animals.”
Chou used her findings to assist a non-profit organization in Taiwan, helping them bring in and translate research from Europe and North America.
“So that’s how I really got interested in farming research. In 2012, I went to UK and started my second master’s and really got into behaviour work.”
Chou says moving to Western Canada has opened new opportunities for her to continue her work while bringing her closer to Taiwan than she was in Europe and Ireland. She says she feels grateful and privileged to have Brown’s guidance through her transition, knowing that she has “very big shoes to fill.”
Chou describes the research work at PSC as being in the middle of the spectrum between finding practical solutions for farmers and looking after the best practices in animal care.
“There is no one standard on how much you have to do, but I believe it’s incremental, in the step-by-step changes. I think Prairie Swine Centre is in the best position to do that, because we have a good relationship with the producers. We’re really there on the ground to help them when they have problems.”
Chou says she has been taking small steps through her first year with PSC, getting to know the producers and making connections within the industry and research communities. The coming months will include a focus on updating Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs.She says her door is open to producers who are seeking solutions.
“I’m here to help. I’m ready to work with resolving, if they have any, behaviour or welfare problems. I will not be able to provide them with all the answers, but we can definitely help.”
Yolunnde Seddon also spoke during the Welfare breakout session, her take home point was, “be proactive not reactive.” •
— By Brenda Kossowan