dr. Y (Yongran) Ji

I am a Research Associate at the Horticulture and Product Physiology (HPP) group of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands. My work focuses on how light, particularly far-red radiation, influences plant growth, development, and crop quality in greenhouse and controlled environment settings. Also, I am interested in the application of photobiology in modern horticulture.

I grew up in Nanchang, China, and completed my BSc in Agronomy, specialising in Crop Genetics and Breeding, at China Agricultural University in Beijing in 2012. I then moved to Wageningen for my MSc in Plant Sciences, specialising in Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, which I completed in 2014. I stayed on at WUR for my PhD in Horticulture and Product Physiology studying how far-red radiation affects dry mass partitioning, fruit yield in tomato, and its underlying mechanisms under the supervision of Dr. Ep Heuvelink and Prof. Leo Marcelis. After completing my PhD, I continued at WUR as a postdoctoral researcher before taking up my current position as researcher in 2024. 

Alongside my research, I have been involved in science communication and agri-tech competitions over the years, which are activities I find valuable for connecting scientific work to broader audiences and real-world challenges.