“Urban Tree Health Care”
by Dr. Susanna Kerio, Assistant Scientist II, CT Agricultural Experiment Station
April 7, 2021 10:00 am
Dr. Susanna Keriö is a forest pathologist and a forest ecologist with expertise in disease resistance of trees to fungal pathogens, and the molecular and genetic factors associated with tree-fungus interaction and tree stress responses. Dr. Keriö’s doctorate research at the University of Helsinki focused on the transcriptional and chemical defense responses of Norway spruce and Scots pine to the Heterobasidion root rot pathogens. In her postdoctorate at the Oregon State University, Dr. Keriö’s research aimed at identifying genetic variation in Populus trichocarpa associated with resistance to the Septoria leaf spot and stem canker pathogen Sphaerulina musiva.
Dr. Keriö’s current research in CAES aims at applying the information of molecular, chemical, and cellular stress signatures to develop management strategies to reduce tree stress and to support tree health in urban environments. Dr. Keriö’s current projects include: ecophysiological and molecular markers associated with tree stress, role of metallic nanoparticles in tree-fungal interactions and potential applications in urban tree care, and tissue culture and somatic embryogenesis techniques in American chestnut and other hardwood tree species.
