Functional Mushrooms: Ecological Allies for Whole-Body Health

Oli Genn-Bash (Mycology Educator & Founder of The Fungi Consultant)

Wednesday 18 February, 2026 8PM CET (7PM GMT, 2PM ET, 11AM PT)

Online via Zoom

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Functional mushrooms invite us to rethink health beyond isolated symptoms and quick fixes, offering a more holistic, systems-based way of understanding the body. In a world shaped by chronic stress and long-term health challenges, we need complementary approaches that recognise the body as an interconnected ecosystem rather than a collection of separate parts.

This talk explores functional mushrooms not simply as supplements, but as ecological allies– organisms with a long history of traditional use and a growing body of scientific research behind them. Drawing on insights from immunology, neurobiology, gut microbiome research, and emerging conversations around adaptogens and nootropics, we’ll examine how mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, and Turkey Tail interact with different physiological systems.

Together, we’ll explore how these fungi may support immune regulation, stress resilience, inflammation balance, cognitive function, and the body’s natural repair processes. By situating functional mushrooms within a wider systems-based framework, this session invites us to view the body as a living network of relationships- one that can be supported through resilience, balance, and prevention rather than reaction alone.

This online talk is for anyone curious about mushrooms, interested in integrative health, or looking for new ways to support wellbeing, this session offers a grounded and thoughtful perspective on working with nature to support the body as a whole.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Oli Genn-Bash is a UK-based writer, educator, and cultural practitioner working at the intersection of functional mushrooms, mycotherapy, psychedelics, and contemporary wellness culture. His work sits between research, lived experience, and creative practice, with a focus on education and the responsible development of psychedelic and mushroom spaces.

He has several years’ experience researching and teaching the therapeutic potential of medicinal and functional mushrooms, including Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, and Chaga. He is the creator and lead educator of multi-month mycotherapy training programmes, including practitioner-level courses for clinicians and prescribing professionals in the UK and Southern Africa, and teaches on the Microdose For Healing course, exploring the role of functional mushrooms in wellbeing and recovery.

He has written for Leafie, Chemical Collective, Mycostories, Mycopreneur, Seed Sistas, and Microdose For Peace, exploring psychedelics, mycology, spirituality, philosophy, chronic pain, creativity, and emerging therapeutic paradigms through a blend of science, culture, humour, and personal reflection.

Oli is a co-founder of the UKC Psychedelics Society and has spoken at events including Breaking Convention, All Things Fungi Festival, Margate Mushroom Festival, Smugglers Festival, and events with The Psychedelic Society. Alongside this work, he creates music as a form of creative and artistic expression in connection to the wider psychedelic culture.

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