Dr Zohar Yanai is a researcher at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and a curator of aquatic insects in the entomological collections. Zohar obtained all of his academic degrees in Tel Aviv University, with his MSc dealing with invasion patterns of non-indigenous freshwater molluscs, and his PhD with ecological and taxonomic aspects of Israeli mayflies (order Ephemeroptera). Later on, he lived in Switzerland and the UK for five years, during which he completed three post doctoral trainings, advancing the knowledge on these issues.

Currently Zohar studies the ecology of freshwater habitats, such as springs and streams, focusing on topical conservation threats. He is interested in particular in biological invasions in freshwaters, their ecological implications, and means to prevent and eliminate them. Meanwhile he keeps investigating the systematics and taxonomy of some aquatic insect groups, with special interest in mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) in the Middle East.

He is currently a member of the directorial board of the Entomological Society of Israel and of the Committee for Zoological Terminology in the Academy of the Hebrew Language.