Joe Tafur, MD, is a Colombian-American family physician. After completing his training at UCLA, Dr. Tafur spent two years in academic research at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry. After his research fellowship, over a period of six years, he lived and worked in the Peruvian Amazon at the traditional healing center Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, training there as an Ayahuasquero. In his book, The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine, through a series of stories, Dr. Tafur shares his unique experience and integrative medical theories.

He is currently a fellow at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine. With his spiritual community in Phoenix, Dr. Tafur co-founded the Church of the Eagle and the Condor (CEC). Dr. Tafur is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Modern Spirit; among their projects is the Modern Spirit Epigenetics Project, an analysis of the epigenetic impact of MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.