Attracting more than 12,000 visitors, the festival serves as a premier gathering that bridges higher education, industry leaders, and the local community to advance the world of fungi.
“Our faculty is a pioneer in bridging academia with technological innovation, as demonstrated by the cross-disciplinary work of our faculty members across its three departments,” explained Dr. Fernando Ortiz, researcher and director of VIME-comunidad, regarding the University of Santiago de Chile’s role in the event. He also presented the panel “Psilocybin Use and Mental Health.”
Alongside Dr. Ortiz, key faculty members from Usach’s Faculty of Chemistry and Biology led impactful sessions at the festival. Dr. Luis Constandil presented preliminary findings on using psilocybin for chronic pain treatment, while Dr. Estíbaliz Ampuero, director of the Certificate Program in Psychedelics, delivered the keynote “Beyond Conventional Treatments.” Meanwhile, VIME-Educo director Dr. Leonel Rojo spearheaded networking sessions with industry leaders to drive collaborative research.
“The studies currently underway regarding the potential use of psilocybin in certain psychiatric therapies are yet another example of our faculty members’ innovative potential and are directly related to the challenges facing our community today,” added the professor.
As a leading interdisciplinary event, the Kingdom Fungi Festival (Festival Reino Fungi) connects researchers, artists, local communities, and academic institutions to explore fungi. The event receives key institutional backing from major organizations, including Corfo, ProChile, the Center for Technological Revolution in Creative Industries (Crtic), and the Regional Ministry of Culture (Seremi de las Culturas).