Dr Asiegbu has been the professor of forest pathology at the University of Helsinki since 2007. He has a master's degree in applied microbiology and plant pathology, and a PhD in biotechnology. His major research focus has been the application of biotechnology knowledge and tools for the determination of ecological, molecular and biochemical pathways required by emerging fungal and forest pathogens to spread, infect and cause disease to trees worldwide. He has been a member of the faculty interdisciplinary Master's Programme in Biotechnology and is also an invited professor at Nanjing Forestry University in China.
Dr Kovalchuk is a researcher at the University of Helsinki. He has a PhD in molecular biology and has over 30 peer-reviewed journal publications on forest microbiomes.

Part I: Basis of tree pathology1. Basic concept and principles of forest pathology
2. Diagnostic tools and techniques in tree pathology Part II: Tree health: Global perspectives 3. Forest diversity and productivity: Implications for forest health in future climates
4. Globalization, invasive forest pathogen species, and forest tree health
5. Abiotic factors affecting forest tree health6. Climate change and forest health: Detecting dieback hotspots7. Ecological, evolutionary, and societal impacts of invasions by emergent forest pathogens
8. Population dynamics of forest tree pathogens9. Modeling forest disturbance and tree disease dynamics Part III: Basis and principles of tree disease resistance breeding10. Resistance breeding against tree pathogens Part IV: Foliage (including Needles) Pathogens of trees (case examples)11. Dothistroma needle blight disease 12. Rust diseases of forest trees
13. Ash dieback
14. Temperate oak declines: Biotic and abiotic predisposition factors Part V: Stem and shoot pathogens of trees (case examples)
15. Rapid Ohia Death in Hawaii
16. Dutch elm diseas
17. Diseases of chestnut trees 18. Pine pitcher cancker (PPC): An introduction, an overview Part VI: Root diseases (pathogens) (case examples) 19. Heterobasidion annosum s.l.: Biology, genomics, and pathogenicity factors 20. Armillaria root disease of diverse trees in wide-spread gloabl regions 21. Phytophthora diseases Part VII: Beneficial microbes (mycorrhiza, saprotrophs) 22. Mycorrhizas: Role in N and P cyclcing and nutrition of forest trees Part VII: Management of forest tree diseases 23. Forest free disease control and management