Heikki Kotiranta, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Finnish Environment Institute (Research Programme for Biodiversity), working on threatened aphyllophoroid fungi and on the taxonomy of corticioid and poroid basidiomycetes. Fieldwork and collecting in Scandinavia, Estonia, and in Siberia and the Russian Far East during several lengthy expeditions. Father of three girls and spending plenty of time in ice-halls to attend their ringette training and games. Author of several books on edible mushrooms.
Finnish Environment Institute * List of publications

Ilkka Kytövuori, PhD, has studied the taxonomy of Agaricales for over 30 years, recently especially the genus Cortinarius. Research in the taxonomy and phylogeny of ramarioid and stipitate hydnaceous fungi of Finland. Co-author of the keys to Cortinarius sections Vibratiles, Cortinarius and Veneti, and subgenus Telamonia in monographic Funga Nordica. Fieldwork and collecting mostly in Fennoscandia, but also in other parts of Europe. Participated in the evaluation and application of the IUCN red-list categories for Finnish Agaricales/Boletales and Aphyllophorales.

Pertti Renvall, PhD (University of Helsinki), Director of the Kuopio Natural History Museum. Studies taxonomy and ecology of wood-inhabiting fungi, especially Antrodia, Antrodiella, Postia and other poroid basidiomycetes. Fieldwork and collecting mostly in Finland (especially northern timberline Lapland) but also in East Africa.
Kuopio Natural History Museum * List of publications

Marja Härkönen, PhD, has focused her main interests in two directions: myxomycete ecology and systematics, and ethnomycology. With interviews she collected inherited wisdom and beliefs about mushrooms in Tanzania, China, and Tver Karelia (Russia). A co-author of several mushroom guide- and text-books. Author of the book Myxomycetes of Finland and numerous papers on myxomycetes from Finland, Gambia, Turkey, Tanzania and China. She was developing the training of commercial mushroom advisers in Finland.

Tuula Niskanen, PhD, group leader of Agarics and Boletes Research Team at the Department of Biosciences. Research in agarics taxonomy: Cortinarius, especially the boreal Telamonia species; Hygrophoropsis in Northern Hemisphere; and Amanita sect. Vaginatae in North Europe (with Paavo Höijer). Fieldwork and collecting in North Europe and North America; also C and S Europe. Co-author of the keys to Cortinarius sections Vibratiles, Cortinarius and Veneti, and subgenus Telamonia in monographic Funga Nordica. Member of the Editorial Board of Karstenia.
Dept. of Biosciences * e-mail: tuula.niskanen(at-sign)cortinarius.fi

Yu-Cheng Dai, PhD (University of Helsinki), Professor (Academia Sinica) is working on the taxonomy of polypores and other wood-inhabiting fungi, and on forest pathology (Heterobasidion, Phellinus, Inonotus) worldwide. Cooperation with major researchers of fungal taxonomy and evolution. Extensive collecting in North Europe and East Asia, e.g. all the provinces of China. Leader of research groups in Shenyang and Beijing. Dai works for long periods every year in Botanical Museum. Special interests include nature photography and medicinal fungi.

Tea von Bonsdorff, Msc, is a member and secretary of Specialist Group for Fungi at the Botanical Museum, working mainly with red-listed fungi (IUCN categories of fungal species) and fungi indicating high conservation value of Finnish forests. Tea´s personal intrests are the taxonomy and ecology of agarics in general (Mycena, Galerina and others). Vice President of the Finnish Mycological Society and Finland´s representative in European Council of Conservation of Fungi.
e-mail: tea.vonbonsdorff(at-sign)helsinki.fi

Masoomeh Ghobad-Nejhad, PhD, is studying wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes of Iran. Research focused on phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Vuilleminia and its allies (Corticiales) worldwide, and studying polypores and corticioids of the Caucasus region, their systematics and geography.Completed her PhD studies and defended her thesis on Mach 2011.
List of publications * e-mail: masoomeh.ghobadnejhad(at-sign)helsinki.fi

Juha Kinnunen, MSc, is working at the Botanical Museum, where he studies the taxonomy of polypores and resupinate hydnaceous fungi, in particular the Steccherinum genus complex. For over ten years Juha has inventoried Lapland forests and woodlands, especially old-growth nature reserves, e.g. in the protection plan of Antrodia crassa habitats. Collecting in Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Poland (the Bialowieza primeval forest), and Russia. Other interests include many outdoor activities.

Kare Liimatainen, MSc, is working at the Department of Biosciences, preparing his PhD thesis on molecular taxonomy of Cortinarius. Special interests include the study of suitable DNA markers for species delimitation and recognition (barcoding), and the taxonomy of Amanita, Hydnum and Boletus. Collected and photographed fungi mostly in North Europe, but also in Central and South Europe and North America.
Dept. of Biosciences * e-mail: kare.liimatainen(at-sign)helsinki.fi

Otto Miettinen, PhD , researcher at the Botanical Museum. Research interests are taxonomy, evolution and ecology of aphyllophoroid fungi, mainly polypores and corticioids. Compiled his doctoral thesis on the taxonomy of the polypore genus Antrodiella, aside working with several other genera (incl. Skeletocutis, Trichaptum). Otto´s passion are tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, both from mycological and nature conservation points of view. Extensive collecting in Europe and Southeast Asia.
e-mail: otto.miettinen(at-sign)helsinki.fi * List of publications

Dmitry Schigel, PhD (University of Helsinki, 2009), is working at the Metapopulation Research Group, Department of Biosciences on mycelial interactions and metagenomics of Basidiomyctes in dead wood of spruce. Cooperation with the Botanical Museum deals with species identification and inventories of polypores, and herbarium work. Research in ecology of fungi and beetles. Collected mostly in North and East Europe, European Russia, Caucasus, and the Russian Far East.
Dept. of Biosciences * List of publications

Indrek Sell, MSc, is working at the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (Tartu). Completed his master thesis on systematics and ecology of the species in the Phellinus igniarius group in 2007, doing his PhD thesis on Corticiaceae on junipers. Research interests are taxonomy and ecology of wood-rotting fungi. Other interests include nature photography.
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences * e-mail: indrek.sell(at-sign)emu.ee

Mika Toivonen, researcher, works at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, doing molecular taxonomy of ramarioid fungi. Own research interests focus on the taxonomy and ecology of tiny species of Cortinariaceae associated with Alnus and Salix in Fennoscandia.
Dept. of Biosciences * e-mail: m.toivonen(at-sign)iki.fi