Roland Griffiths
American psychopharmacologist (1946–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roland Redmond Griffiths (July 19, 1946 – October 16, 2023) was an American psychopharmacologist.[1][2] At Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he was professor of neuroscience, psychiatry, and behavioral science, and he was the director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.[3]
July 19, 1946
- Psychotropic drug research
- Therapeutic psychedelics
Roland Griffiths | |
|---|---|
Griffiths in 2019 | |
| Born | Roland Redmond Griffiths July 19, 1946 Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 16, 2023 (aged 77) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Known for |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychopharmacology |
| Institutions | Johns Hopkins |
| Thesis | The effects of pentobarbital on extinction responding in rats (1972) |
| Doctoral advisor | Travis Irving Thompson |
Life and career
Griffiths was born in Glen Cove, New York, on July 19, 1946.[4] His mother was a homemaker, and his father, a psychologist, became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Griffiths grew up in El Cerrito, California.[5] He earned his undergraduate degree from Occidental College and his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Minnesota in psychopharmacology, in 1972.[5]
After completing his doctorate, Griffiths joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins University.[5] In 1994, he published research demonstrating the addictive nature of caffeine as well as its withdrawal syndrome.[6] Griffiths began studying psychedelic drugs in 1999.[5] His 2006 paper "Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance",[7] "caused a media ruckus", according to The New York Times, for its documentation of the "revelatory and spiritually meaningful" experiences of individuals who were given psilocybin.[5] His work in the field is credited with helping revive interest in clinical research into psychedelic drugs as a potential treatment for addiction, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders.[2][8]
In 2024, former colleague Matthew Johnson publicly criticized the soundness of the research in Griffiths' lab.[9]
Personal life
Griffiths' 1973 marriage to Kristin Ann Johnson, and later to Diana Hansen, both ended in divorce.[5][10] At the time of his death, he was married to Marla Weiner. He had three children.[5]
In 2021, Griffiths was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer.[5] He died at his home in Baltimore on October 16, 2023, at the age of 77.[5][11]
In 2022, Griffiths disclosed his own experiences with psychedelics.[9][12]