Zhang Jinkai is a PhD student in the Department of Biology at Hong Kong Baptist University, under the supervision of Prof. LEE Chi Wai. He received his BEng and BEc degrees from Sichuan Agricultural University in 2020, followed by an MSc from the University of Edinburgh in 2021. His current research focuses on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-mediated signal transduction and cytoskeletal mechanisms underlying muscle biology and neuromuscular synapse development. Using the simple and elegant Xenopus primary culture system alongside advanced techniques including live-cell time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, super-resolution microscopy, molecular biology, and immunocytochemistry, he aims to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of BDNF in synaptic development and advance potential therapies for neuromuscular disorders. His original research findings have been published in internationally leading journal Cell Death & Differentiation.