Dr Alireza Zamani

Ph.D. in Biodiversity Research
University of Turku, Turku, Finland (2023)

M.Sc. in Animal Biosystematics
University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (2018)

B.Sc. in Animal Biology
University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (2016)

Postdoctoral researcher
Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Postdoctoral Grant [ID: 081820]
Turku University Foundation, Turku, Finland
06/2024 – 02/2025

UTUGS Funded Doctoral Researcher Position in Biology, Geography and Geology (BGG)
University of Turku, Turku, Finland
01/2020 – 05/2020; 01/2021 – 08/2022

EDUFI Fellowship
Finnish National Agency for Education, Finland
01/2019 – 12/2019

E.O.Wilson Research Prize
For “An extensive review of mutualistic and similar ecological associations involving tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae), with a new hypothesis on the evolution of their hirsuteness“
Journal of Natural History, Taylor & Francis, UK (2025)

Award of Appreciation
For “Field Guide to the Insects and Other Arthropods of Iran”
4^th National Award for the Book of the Year (Young Authors), Tehran Book Garden, Iran (2024)

Biodiversity Book Award
For “Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Iran”
1^st National Conference on Biodiversity, Tehran, Iran (2020)

Biology Book Award
For “Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Iran”
1^st National Award for the Book of the Year (Young Authors), Arak, Iran (2019)

Doctor of Philosophy
Masoumeh Enayatnia (2020 – present)
“Faunistic study of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in South Khorasan and Sistan region”
Supervisor: Dr. Ali Mirshekar.  
Advisors: Dr. Alireza Zamani, Dr. Ehsan Rakhshani.    
Department of Plant Protection, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

Bachelor of Science
Emil Österman (2020 – 2022)
“Kuoppa- ja ramppipyydysten vertaaminen niveljalkaisten ja tarkemmin hämähäkkien pyynnissä”
Supervisor: Alireza Zamani.
University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Oral presentation
“Persian silk road: diversity and distribution patterns of Iranian spiders under sampling bias”
35th European Congress of Arachnology, Zadar, Croatia (2025)

Poster presentation
““New Data on the Spider Fauna of Iran”: an overview of the results from a decade-long large-scale project“
34^th European Congress of Arachnology, Rennes, France (2024)

Keynote speaker
“The limitations and shortcomings of DNA barcoding as a sole taxonomic tool“
4^th Iranian International Congress of Entomology, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran (2023)

Oral presentation
“Spiders of Iran: past, present and future”
American Arachnological Society Virtual Summer Symposium (2021)

Oral presentation
“Biodiversity of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Fars Province, Iran“
1^st Fars Biodiversity Conference, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran (2021)

Oral presentation
“A review on the history of studies on the medically important spiders (Araneae) of Iran“
1^st International Congress on Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change & 3^rd Iranian National Congress on Medical Entomology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2017)

Oral presentation
“The spider family Dictynidae in Iran (Arachnida: Araneae)“
2^nd Iranian International Congress of Entomology, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran (2017)

Oral presentation
“A review of the recent araneological studies in Iran, with emphasize on the taxonomy and distribution of Hersiliidae (Arachnida: Araneae)“
Life Science 2016: National Undergraduate Conference, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (2016)

Poster presentation
“About Hersiliidae Thorell, 1870 (Arachnida, Araneae) in Iran“
28^th European Congress of Arachnology, Torino, Italy (2014)

Poster presentation
“Correction of the previous reports of the red-back spider Latrodectus hasseltii Thorell, 1870 from Iran by recording L. renivulvatus Dahl, 1902 for the first time from the country“
3^rd Iranian Congress on Natural Toxins, Pharmacy School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2014)

Oral presentation
“First Record of Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Arachnida: Araneae: Sicariidae) from Iran“
19^th International Congress of Arachnology, Kenting National Park, Taiwan (2013)

“Suomen hämähäkkieläimet”
University of Turku, Turku, Finland

“An Introductory to Arthropods”
Arasbaran Institute, Tehran, Iran
Ava-ye Tabiat-e Paidar Institute, Tehran, Iran
Bahar-e Ertebatat-e Iranian Institute, Karaj, Iran
Dalahoo Institute, Tehran, Iran
Mizban-e Qazvin Institute, Qazvin, Iran
Samamus Institute, Tehran, Iran
Tabiat Institute, Tehran, Iran

“An Introductory to Taxonomy”
Preparatory courses for the 19^th National Olympiad of Biology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran (2016)

Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
Vienna, Austria (2019)

Muséum d’histoire naturelle
Geneva, Switzerland (2019, 2021)

Zoological Museum of the University of Turku
Turku, Finland (2016, 2018)

National Museum of Natural History
Tehran, Iran (2015–2016)

National Zoological Museum
Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran, Iran (2014)