Paul Stamets

Paul Edward Stamets (born July 17, 1955) is an American mycologist, author and advocate of bioremediation and medicinal fungi. 2Early life Stamets was born in Columbiana, a small town he describes as Bible belt and ultra conservative, and grew up there with an older brother, John, and siblings Bill, Lilly and North. He attended Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania from 1969 to 1973, Kenyon College in 1974 when he was 19, and graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington with a bachelor's degree in 1979. Training in the martial arts since a child, he received a black belt in Taekwondo in 1979. In 1994, he received a black belt in Hwa Rang Do. Paul Stamets credits his late brother John, a professional photographer and lecturer, with being his mycology influence. Paul states, "He inspired me on my path into the field of mycology, after his travels to Mexico and Colombia in pursuit of magic mushrooms” in the 1970s. Paul is married to Dusty Yao and has two children from a previous marriage, his children are Az Stamets and LaDena Stamets. 2Research and advocacy Stamets is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms (Begell House). He is an advisor to the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicin