FABI Director, Prof. Bernard Slippers together with Prof. Mike Wingfield, and Prof. Irene Barnes travelled to Sweden to join a group of colleagues and friends to celebrate the outstanding research career of world-leading forest pathologist, Prof. Jan Stenlid, who will retire in October, 2022.  This event was arranged as a symposium organized by various of Jan’s colleagues at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) where he has spent the greater part of his exceptional career. While Jan has worked on many different tree diseases and has collaborated with researchers globally, the core focus of his research has been on the root pathogen Heterobasidion annosum. He has, together with many postgraduate students over a long period of time, pioneered a deep understanding of this important disease, contributing substantially to its management. The symposium, titled “Breaking new grounds in forest Pathology” and held from 22-24 September, was attended many of Jan’s past students, his colleagues from SLU and those from many other countries of the world that have worked with him during the course of his career. These included Bernard, Mike and Irene who have collaborated and published with Jan and his students and who took the opportunity express their admiration for and gratitude to Jan for his contributions to their work over many years.