Personal details. Ukrainian, year of birth 1961, female.

Qualifications. Diploma of T. Shevchenko National Kiev University, 1982; PhD (Candidate of Biological Science) Kiev, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, 1986; member of UUPN (UK-Ukraine Professional Network); member of Ukrainian Botanical Society; holds Ukrainian driving licence.

Previous achievements. Participant in Darwin Initiative project Fungi of Ukraine and author of ascomycete entries in major checklist produced from that project; joint-editor of proceedings of Ukraine's first National Conference for Conservation of Biodiversity, Kaniv, 1997; represented Ukraine at "Scientia Europaea-2", a pan-European Conference of young scientists (Pornichet, 1997); Ukrainian Co-ordinator for Royal Society project Electronic Maps of Ukrainian Fungi & Plants; sabbatical study (Robinson College, Cambridge, Cambridge Colleges Hospitality Scheme, 1999); participated in the conference "Biovision Forum" (Lyon, 2001); some experience of experimental work with cultivated mushrooms (Weser Champignon, Germany, 2001); author or co-author of more than 60 publications, including 3 monographs.

Current activities. Participant in the following projects or events:

• Fungal Diversity in Crimea (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine);
• A CD-ROM of Ukrainian Mycology (Royal Society);
• Biodiversity Information in the former Soviet Union (Darwin Initiative);
• An Environmental Action Plan for Balaclava (DFID SEPS).
• 14th Congress of European Mycologists. [Member of Organizing Committee]

Expertise. Botany, mycology; specialist in Ascomycetes, particularly wood-inhabiting fungi, including pathogenic species, associated with trees and bushes in various ecosystems; considerable experience of data-entry and data editing for computerized biological recording.

Dr Vera Hayova
M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany,
2 Tereshchenkivska Street,
MSP-1 Kiev
01601 Ukraine
Tel./fax: +380 44 224-6171
E-mail: veha@ln.ua veha@symbiosis.kiev.ua

Current position. Senior Scientist, Department of Mycology, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Languages. Ukrainian, Russian, English (fluent), French (conversational), German (basic); reading knowledge of West Slavonic languages.

Expeditions & fieldwork. Publicity Manager and participant in Royal Geographical Society's first Ralph Brown Expedition (1998); member of numerous expeditions in Ukraine including Carpathians and Crimea; further field experience in northern Russia, Georgia, Britain, France, Czech and Slovak Republics.