Xinyi Zhang studied Medicinal Chemistry and completed her master’s degree from the China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry (CSIPI), where her research focused on small-molecule drug design and synthesis, with particular interests in bioactive compounds. 
She started her PhD at Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in January 2026, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller and Dr. Chengzhang Fu. Her doctoral research concentrates on discovery and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products from myxobacteria.