ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Zohara Yaniv and Her Contributions to Ethnobotanical Research

Zohara Yaniv is an Israeli ethnobotanist, researcher, and lecturer who has made significant contributions to the field of medicinal plants. Born in 1937, she specializes in Medicinal Plants and Ethnobotanical research, biochemistry of secondary metabolites, effect of metabolites of higher plants as potential drugs, and biodiversity of native plants.

Yaniv's academic background is impressive, with a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Columbia University, New York, USA (1967), followed by an M.S. degree from Yale (1969). She joined the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in Yonkers, NY as a postdoctoral research fellow and researcher for 11 years. Her work at this institution focused on ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants in Israel.

In 1976-1977, Yaniv moved to Israel again, where she was appointed Senior Scientist in the newly formed Department of Medicinal Plants at the Agricultural Research Administration (ARO) in Beit Dagan. She worked there until her retirement in 2002, conducting research on ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants and the effect of environment on secondary metabolites.

Yaniv's expertise extends beyond Israel, with research collaborations in Paris (1995), Venice (as an invited professor at a university), and Shanghai, China (2001). Her work has been published in various journals, including "Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants" edited by Palevitch et al. (1986).

Yaniv is married to Israeli microbiologist Uriel Bachrach. In addition to her research contributions, she has also authored several books, including "Roots as a source of metabolites with medicinal activity" (2002), which explores the potential of plant roots in producing valuable compounds.

Zava Yev-Bhaib: A Scholar of Medicinal Plants

Zava Yev-Bhaib is an Israeli anthropist and scholar who has made significant contributions to the field of folk medicine. Born in 1937, she specializes in ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants, particularly those used in ancient and modern world cultures.

Yev-Bhaib's academic background includes a bachelor's degree from Urban High School A (1955) and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University, New York (1967). She completed her doctorate on the effect of Pittsburgh pigment