Joe Tafur, M.D., is a Colombian-American family physician originally from Phoenix, Arizona.  After completing his post-doctoral research at UCSD, he lived and worked in the Peruvian Amazon at the traditional healing center, Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, for six years.  In his new book The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor's Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine, he describes his experiences with Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine, as well as his theories regarding the vital importance of the emotional and spiritual dimensions of health. Dr. Tafur is also a founding board member of Modern Spirit, a nonprofit organization dedicated to demonstrating the value of spiritual healing in modern health care, by illuminating the intersection between biology, emotion, and spirituality, with a current research focus on epigenetics. Dr. Tafur is also a founding board member of the spiritual community; The Church of the Eagle and the Condor. To learn more, please visit  and