Joe Tafur, M.D., is a Colombian-American family physician originally from Phoenix, Arizona. After completing his family medicine training  at UCLA, Dr. Tafur spent two years in academic research at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry, focused on mind-body medicine.

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. There he worked closely with master Shipibo shaman Ricardo Amaringo and trained in ayahuasca shamanism.

In his new 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.

To learn more about his work, visit drjoetafur.com and modernspirit.org