Yi Ren
Assistant Professor, Animal Science

Selected Publications
Journal Publications
- Richards, J. S., Ren, Y. A., Candelaria, N. C., Adams, J. E., & Rajkovic, A. (2018). Ovarian theca cell recruitment, differentiation, and impact on fertility: 2017 update. Endocrine Reviews. 39:1-20.
- York, J. P., Ren, Y. A., Liu, J., Zhang, B., Wang, F., Zhang, A., Winnier, G. E., Webb, P., Xia, X., & Zhang, P. (2016). Growth arrest specific-2 is a critical mediator of germ cell cyst breakdown and folliculogenesis. Scientific Reports. 6.
- Adams, J., Liu., Z., Ren, Y. A., Wun, W., Zhou, W., Kenigsberg, S., Librach, C., Valdes, C., Gibbons, W., & Richards, J. (2016). Enhanced inflammatory transcriptome in the granulosa cells of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endrocrinology and Metabolism. 101:3459-3468.
- Ren, Y. A., Mullany, L. K., Liu, Z., Wong, K. K., Lonzano, G., Herron, A., & Richards, J. S. (2016). Mutant tumor protein p53 promotes epithelial ovarian cancer by regulating tumor differentiation, metastasis, and responsiveness to steroid hormones. Cancer Research.
- Ren, Y. A., Liu, Z., Mullany, L. K., Fan, C. M., & Richards, J. S. (2015). Growth Arrest Specific-1 (GAS1) Is a C/EBP Target Gene That Functions in Ovulation and Corpus Luteum Formation in Mice. Biology of Reproduction. 94:1-12.
- Liu, Z., Ren, Y. A., Pangas, S. A., Adams, J., Zhou, W., Castrillon, D. H., Wilhelm, D., & Richards, J. S. (2015). FOXO1/3 and PTEN deletion in granulosa cells promotes ovarian granulosa cell tumor. Molecular Endocrinology. 29:1006-1024.
- Mullany, L. K., Liu, Z., Wong, K. K., Deneke, V., Ren, Y. A., Herron, A., & Richards, J. S. (2014). Tumor suppressor protein 53 and steroid hormones provide a new paradigm for ovarian cancer metastases. Molecular Endocrinology. 28:127-137.
- Ren, Y. A., Cowan, R. G., Migone, F. F., & Quirk, S. M. (2012). Over-activation of hedgehog signaling alters development of the ovarian vasculature in mice. Biology of Reproduction. 86:174.
- Migone, F. F., Ren, Y. A., Cowan, R. G., Harman, R. M., Nikitin, A. Y., & Quirk, S. M. (2012). Dominant activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway alters development of the female reproductive tract (2012). Genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development. 50:28-40.
- Ren, Y. A., Cowan, R. G., Harman, R. M., & Quirk, S. M. (2009). Dominant activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway in the ovary alters theca development and prevents ovulation. Molecular Endocrinology. 23:711-723.
Presentations and Activities
- "Mice with Patched1 deletion in pituitary folliculo-stellate cells exhibit adult onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism". 51th Annual Meeting, Society for the Study of Reproduction, New Orleans, USA, (July 2018). 51st Annual Meeting. July 2018. Society for the Study of Reproduction. New Orleans, LA.
- "Novel Signaling Pathways in Ovarian Tumors". 51st Annual Meeting. July 2018. Society for the Study of Reproduction. New Orleans, LA.
- "Hedgehog signaling receptor PTCH1 in S100A4 cell lineages is critical for fertility". April 2017. Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, TX.
- "Hedgehog signaling in S100A4 cell lineages regulates ovary and pituitary functions in female mice". 49th Annual Meeting. July 2016. Society for the Study of Reproduction. San Diego, CA.
- "Somatic stem cells and gynecologic cancers". 49th Annual Meeting. July 2016. Society for the Study of Reproduction. San Diego, CA.
- "Hedgehog signaling in S100A4 cell lineages regulates ovary and pituitary functions in female mice". 22nd Annual Texas Forum for Reproductive Sciences. April 2016. Houston, TX.
- "Mutant tumor protein p53 promotes epithelial ovarian cancer by regulating tumor differentiation and steroid hormone responsiveness.". 21st Annual Texas Forum for Reproductive Sciences. April 2015. Houston, TX.
- "Mutant tumor protein p53 promotes hormone responsiveness and drug resistance of epithelial ovarian cancer". 47nd Annual Meeting. July 2014. Society for the Study of Reproduction. Montréal, Canada.
- "Dominant activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway in the ovary alters theca development and prevents ovulation". 40th Annual Meeting. July 2009. Society for the Study of Reproduction. San Antonio, TX.
- "Over-activation of hedgehog signaling alters primordial follicle development". 43rd Annual Meeting. July 2009. Society for the Study of Reproduction. Milwaukee, WI.
Education
- Reproductive Physiology
Cornell University - 2011 - Animal Science
China Agricultural University - 2006
Awards & Honors
- Lalor Foundation Merit Award, 47th Annual Meeting (2014) Society for the Study of Reproduction
- Second Place of Cornelia Post Channing New Investigator Award, 47th Annual Meeting (2014) Society for the Study of Reproduction
- Award for excellent undergraduate dissertation (2006) Department of Animal Science, China Agricultural University
- University fellowship for academic excellence, 3 consecutive years (2006) China Agricultural University
Courses Taught
- ANSC 4990: Undergraduate Research in Animal Science
Contact Information
203 Morrison Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
yar9 [at] cornell.edu
Yi in the news

News
Two faculty members are winners of 2022 Schwartz Research Funds for Women and other Underrepresented Faculty in the Life Sciences.
- Animal Science
- Agriculture
- Animals

CALS Magazine
Spotlight
How did you become interested in reproductive biology? It all started when I attended a lecture by a well-respected reproductive biology professor at my undergraduate university in China. I was dabbling in research at that time, and his lecture...
- Animal Science
- Health + Nutrition
- Biology