Yihai Yan obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Shandong University. During his studies, he worked in Professor Liu-Jie Huo's research group, completing his thesis which focused on the mechanism of modifying enzymes in lanthipeptide natural products. Subsequently, he earned his Master's degree in Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In 2025, he started his PhD at HIPS under the supervision of Dr. Florian Hubrich. His current research primarily focuses on investigating the biosynthesis and enzymatic modification mechanisms of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides (RiPPs) natural products.