Qin Ya is a second-year PhD student at HKUST, specializing in cell biology with a focus on eye and retinal development. Her current research aims to characterize the properties of retinal stem cells using human pluripotent stem cells and mouse models. In addition to her main project, Qin has interests in early embryonic development and stem cell therapy. During her master's studies, she investigated the transcription factor regulatory network involved in zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Given the crucial role of retrotransposons in early embryonic development, particularly in ZGA, she views the upcoming symposium as an excellent opportunity to engage with the latest advances in this field.