HELEN REES

Helen graduated from Aberdeen University in 2014 with a degree in biological sciences and has two years’ experience working in the Tree Health Diagnostics and Advisory Service at Forest Research where she provides expert advice and diagnostics on tree health issues for Great Britain. A large proportion of the enquiries which she deals with are related to Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and Phytophthora. Helen carries out culturing of samples which arrive for diagnosis as well as much of the diagnostic molecular lab work.

Activity in POnTE: Helen is the curator of a culture collection of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus isolates from England and Wales. She harvests the Chalara spore trap on a weekly basis and analyses the samples. Helen has also processed a large number of Phytophthora samples for sequencing.