

Wed, Jan 31
|Celebrity Theatre
Paul Stamets
Renowned mycologist Paul Stamets explores the intersection of mushrooms and human consciousness and how these “organisms from the underground” can support human and planetary wellness.
EVENT DETAILS
Jan 31, 2024, 7:00 PM
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
DESCRIPTION | ARTIST BIO
Paul Stamets, D.Sc. (Honaris causa), speaker, author, mycologist, medical researcher and entrepreneur, is considered an intellectual and industry leader in fungi: habitat, medicinal use, and production. He lectures extensively to deepen the understanding and respect for the organisms that literally exist under every footstep taken on this path of life. His presentations cover a range of mushroom species and research showing how mushrooms can help the health of people and planet. His central premise is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings in the microbiome that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement.
Paul Stamets is the author of seven books, including Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, and Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World), he has discovered and named numerous new species of psilocybin mushrooms, and is the founder and owner of Fungi Perfecti, LLC, makers of the Host Defense Mushrooms (www.hostdefense.com) supplement line.
He is an invention ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and was inducted into The Explorer’s Club in 2020. He has received numerous awards, including the National Mycologist Award (2013) from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), the Gordon and Tina Wasson Award (2015) from the Mycological Society of America (MSA), and The Disruptor Award from NextMed (2023). He has named four new species of psilocybin mushrooms. In 2023, a new psilocybin mushroom species was named after him to honor his lifelong work: Psilocybe stametsii.
He is a dedicated Earthling, Knowledge Keeper, and is a leader in protection of ecosystems focusing on the roles of mycelium and mushrooms. Paul’s philosophy is that “MycoDiversity is BioSecurity.” Paul funds research to save rare strains of mushrooms that dwell within the old growth forests. He sees the ancient Old Growth forests of the Pacific Northwest as a resource of incalculable value, especially in terms of its fungal genome. His culture collection consists of hundreds of mushroom strains, including nearly 100 strains of Agarikon sourced primarily from the old growth forests. He believes the old growth forests contain a deep reservoir of species essential for pandemic defense.
He is a collaborator with numerous scientific organizations and research institutes. His research is considered breakthrough by thought leaders for creating a paradigm shift for helping ecosystems worldwide.
In addition, his work has entered the mainstream of popular culture: In the new Star Trek: Discovery series on CBS, the science officer is portrayed by an astromycologist, Lt. Commander Paul Stamets whose concepts became a central theme of this science fiction. His work with mycelium has become a central theme of this series. He served as the primary guide to the mushroom documentary Fantastic Fungi, which first appeared in theaters in fall 2019 and is currently on Netflix with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes