Full name
Alireza Zamani
Date of birth
11 January 1994
Current address
Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, FI-20014 University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
Languages
Persian (mother tongue)
English (fluent)
Arabic (rudimentary)
Education
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)
Current position
Postdoctoral researcher
Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
Editorial positions
Zootaxa
Subject editor (Araneae: Phrurolithidae)
ZooKeys
Subject editor (Araneae)
Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Subject editor (Araneae)
Biodiversity Data Journal
Subject editor (Araneae)
Check List
Subject editor (Chelicerata)
Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics
Subject editor (Araneae)
Arachnida – Rivista Aracnologica Italiana
Subject editor (Araneae)
Frontiers in Arachnid Science – Arachnid Morphology, Systematics and Evolution
Review editor (Araneae)
Reviewer
Acta Arachnologica
Acta Biologica Sibirica
Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
Arachnida – Rivista Aracnologica Italiana
Arachnologische Mitteilungen
Arachnology
Arthropoda Selecta
Baghdad Science Journal
Biodiversity
Biodiversity Data Journal
BMC Evolutionary Biology
Caucasian Entomological Bulletin
Caucasiana
Check List
Commagene Journal of Biology
Ecologica Montenegrina
Environmental Sciences
European Journal of Taxonomy
Evolutionary Systematics
Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics
Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
Journal of Animal Diversity
Journal of Arid Environments
Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity
Journal of Biological Studies
Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research
NeoBiota
Oriental Insects
Pakistan Journal of Zoology
Philippine Journal of Science
Rendiconti Lincei
Revista Chilena de Entomología
Revue suisse de Zoologie
Species Diversity
Spixiana
Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity
Taxonomy and Biosystematics
The Iraq Natural History Museum Publication
Turkish Journal of Zoology
ZooKeys
Zoological Research: Diversity and Conservation
Zoological Systematics
Zoology in the Middle East
Zoosystematics and Evolution
Zootaxa
Grants, Funding & Fellowships
Postdoctoral Grant [ID: 081820]
Turku University Foundation, Turku, Finland
06/2024 – 02/2025
UTUGS Funded Doctoral Researcher Position
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
Awards
Awardee
“Biology Book Worthy of Appreciation”, for “Field Guide to the Insects and Other Arthropods of Iran”
4th National Award for the Book of the Year (Young Authors), Tehran Book Garden, Iran (2024)
Awardee
“Biodiversity Book Award”, for “Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Iran”
1st National Conference on Biodiversity, Tehran, Iran (2020)
Awardee
“Biology Book Award”, for “Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Iran”
1st National Award for the Book of the Year (Young Authors), Arak, Iran (2019)
Awardee
“Best Oral Presentation”, for “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)
Thesis supervision
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
Congresses & Conferences
4th Iranian International Congress of Entomology
Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran (2023)
33rd European Congress of Arachnology
Greifswald, Germany (2022)
American Arachnological Society Virtual Summer Symposium
Virtual Symposium (2021)
1st Fars Biodiversity Conference
Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran (2021)
1st International Congress on Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change & 3rd Iranian National Congress on Medical Entomology
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2017)
2nd Iranian International Congress of Entomology, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran (2017)
Life Science 2016, National Undergraduate Conference
University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (2016)
28th European Congress of Arachnology
Torino, Italy (2014)
3rd Iranian Congress on Natural Toxins
Pharmacy School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2014)
National Conference of Biological Control in Agriculture & Natural Resources
Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran (2013)
19th International Congress of Arachnology
Kenting National Park, Taiwan (2013)
Presentations
[Conferences]
Keynote speaker
“The limitations and shortcomings of DNA barcoding as a sole taxonomic tool“
4th 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“
1st 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“
1st International Congress on Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change & 3rd Iranian National Congress on Medical Entomology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2017)
Oral presentation
“The spider family Dictynidae in Iran (Arachnida: Araneae)“
2nd 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“
28th 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“
3rd 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“
19th International Congress of Arachnology, Kenting National Park, Taiwan (2013)
Presentations
[Other]
Invited speaker
“Classification of Iranian spiders with emphasis on the studies conducted in the last decade“
Acarological Society of Iran (2024)
Speaker
“Animal species unknown to science – and how to find them?” (with Ilari Eerikki Sääksjärvi and Kari M. Kaunisto)
Science Days, University of Turku, Turku, Finland (2023)
Speaker
“The heart of the Middle East is full of spiders: the results of a decade of arachnological research in Iran“
1st Annual Science Day of the Faculty of Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland (2022)
Invited speaker
“The art of naming“
Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran (2022)
Invited speaker
“Alpha taxonomy: discovery and naming of unknown species“
University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran (2021)
Speaker
“My journey with spiders and the art of discovery: knowing and saving our itsy-bitsy friends“
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition (Finals), University of Turku, Turku, Finland (2021)
Speaker
“A web for conservation“
TEDx TUMS, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (2017)
Speaker
“Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Iran” premiere.
87th Club of Arts and Nature, Artists Forum of Iran, Tehran, Iran (2016)
Speaker
“Taxonomy and distribution of the spider family Filistatidae in Iran“
23th Seminar of Wildlife, Iranian Cheetah Society, Tehran, Iran (2016)
Speaker
“Diversity of the medically important spiders of Iran“
14th Seminar of Wildlife, Iranian Cheetah Society, Tehran, Iran (2014)
Teaching experience
“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 19th National Olympiad of Biology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran (2016)
Research visits
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)
Miscellany activities
Scientific Committee Member
25th Iranian Plant Protection Congress
Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (2024)
Reviewer
VII Latin American Congress of Arachnology
Bogotá, Colombia (2024)
Scientific advisor
“Hayat-e Khaneh-ye Ma 2” TV series
IRIB Mostanad, Iran (2019–2020)
Scientific advisor
“Spider Park”
Tehran, Iran (2019)
Curator
iNaturalist nonprofit social network (2016–present)
Founding Partner
Virtual Institute of Spider Taxonomy Research
Bern, Switzerland (2016–2021)
Country coordinator
Iran; World Spider Catalog
Natural History Museum of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (2014–present)
Founder
The online catalog of Iranian spiders (2014–2023)