Denis Benjamin

Denis trained as a physician in Johannesburg, South Africa, emigrating to the USA in 1970 to complete his residency in pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He practiced pediatric pathology at the Children’s hospitals in Seattle and Fort Worth, Texas. He was a Professor in both the Departments of Anatomic Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Pediatric at the University of Washington. His interest in mycology led him to consult for the Regional Poison Control Center and to serve as toxicology chairman of the North American Mycological Association. He published a landmark on the health effects of mushrooms in 1995 (Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas, WH Freeman and Co., NY, NY). He has participated on the boards of a number of mycological societies. His major mycological involvement revolves around the health impacts of fungi. Other interests include foraging, watercolor painting, hiking, and cooking.